Who’ll Stop the Rain?
By Alan DurningSeattle Business
08/03/2010
Whether falling in a mist or a torrent, the Northwest’s rain is familiar and dependable. But as rainwater streams off roofs and across pavement, it picks up a toxic cocktail of substances such as chemicals to remove moss, crank case drips and lawn pesticides. Polluted stormwater runoff is the leading source of hazardous chemicals entering Washington’s largest body of water, making oysters and clams unsafe to eat, and sickening the region’s endangered orcas.
Whether falling in a mist or a torrent, the Northwest’s rain is familiar and dependable. But as rainwater streams off roofs and across pavement, it picks up a toxic cocktail of substances such as chemicals to remove moss, crank case drips and lawn pesticides. Polluted stormwater runoff is the leading source of hazardous chemicals entering Washington’s largest body of water, making oysters and clams unsafe to eat, and sickening the region’s endangered orcas.