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What is a Watershed? Oil and A watershed is an area of land that drains to a common point, such as a nearby creek, stream, Don’t Mix river or lake. Every small watershed drains to a larger watershed that eventually flows to the ocean.

Watersheds support a wide variety of plants and wildlife and provide many outdoor recreation op- portunities. By protecting the health of our water- sheds we can preserve and enhance the quality of life for Kansas City area residents.

What is stormwater runoff? Used is the Stormwater is water from rain or melting snow. largest single source of It flows from rooftops, over paved streets, sidewalks and parking lots, across bare soil, and oil pollution in our lakes, through lawns and storm drains. As it flows, rivers and streams. runoff collects and transports soil, pet waste, salt, pesticides, fertilizer, oil and grease, litter and other pollutants. This water drains directly into nearby creeks, streams and rivers, without receiving treatment at plants.

Polluted stormwater contaminates streams, rivers and lakes. It can kill or damage plants, fish and wildlife, while degrading the quality of our water. Watershed Tip Winter

Mid-America Regional Council 600 Broadway, Suite 300 A typical watershed system Kansas City, Missouri 64105 www.marc.org

For more information, Printed on 30% Recycled Material Clean Water. visit www.marc.org/Environment/Water Healthy Life. or call 816/474-4240. Facts About Used Oil What’s the Problem? What Can You Do?

Used motor oil never wears out — it just gets Used motor oil can contain concentrations of toxic There are things that every citizen can do dirty and can be recycled, cleaned and used heavy metals such as zinc, lead, and cadmium at home and in their community to help again. Motor oil poured onto the ground or into that affect the environment, including wildlife, prevent illegal dumping and oil pollution to storm drains, or tossed into trash cans (even in vegetation, surface water and drinking water our water: sealed containers) can contaminate and pollute the supplies when not disposed of properly. soil, groundwater, streams, and rivers. Recycle used motor oil at a local used oil One quart of oil poured down a storm drain can collection center. Visit www.marc.org to The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) contaminate one million gallons of water. Water find the nearest location. estimates that over 200 million gallons of do-it- that goes down storm drains does not go to treatment yourself used oil ends up in the trash, in water plants. Request re-refined motor oil when you and poured on the ground each year.That’s more get your oil changed. Re-refined motor oil than one million gallons of used oil that affects must meet the same American water quality and wildlife habitats each year in One pint of oil can produce a slick Institute (API) certification standards as Kansas City alone! of approximately one acre of water. virgin motor oil.

Recycling used motor oil reduces this pollution When oil enters a body of water, a film develops on Cars that leak oil and other automotive threat. When you recycle used oil, you are the surface that blocks out sunlight that plants and fluids are a big source of water pollution. protecting the environment and conserving a other organisms need to live. Have your car checked for any leaking fluids valuable resource. that might run-off into storm drains. Other automotive fluids, including antifreeze, Recycling used oil helps protect ground and and are also harmful to the Recycle and re-use oil filters. Recycling surface , fish and wildlife and conserves environment when not disposed of correctly. When one ton of drained oil filters produces 1,700 energy. If recycled, the oil could save about a used motor oil is mixed with other automotive pounds of steel and recovers about 60 gallons half million barrels of crude oil each year, worth fluids, it is considered contaminated and cannot be of used oil. nearly $10 million dollars. collected for recycling. Community storm drain stenciling events are Used oil from ATVs, jet skis, boats, lawn a good way to get the word out about what mowers, weed eaters, and other motorized items should and shouldn’t go down storm drains. threatens the environment just as much as oil Many programs focus on the dangers of from automobiles. mixing oil and water.

If you change your own oil, get a reusable Clean Water. used oil container. Drain the oil carefully into the container, avoiding splatter Healthy Life. and spills.

For more information, visit www.marc.org/Environment/Water or call 816/474-4240.