1-800-KEEP-BAY Pollution hotline: www.baykeeper.org Baykeeper News spread of oil. booms were set up to protect theshorelinefrom the Pelicans frolic inGrand Isle,Louisiana, where infrastructure to jobsforyears come.” spills, benefitingwater qualityandproperty values, as well ascreating green Baykeeper. newprograms willputanendto Millbrae’s “These frequent sewage forms of itssewer system,” saidJason Staff Flanders, Attorney atSanFrancisco “We are pleasedthatMillbraehasagreed to implementtheseoverdue re systems inorder to curbsewagespillsto theBay. Millbrae hasagreed to make substantialrepairs andimprovements to itssewer ing thousandsof gallonsof rawsewageinviolationof theCleanWater Act. Baykeeper successfullysettled ourlawsuitagainsttheCityof Millbraeforspill a seriousandrecurring source of pollutionto theBay:sewagespills.InJuly, San FranciscoBaykeeper iscontinuing ourdecade-longcampaign to confront Spills to theBay forReducing New Baykeeper Sewage Victory BP Oil Spill in the Gulf: AnOngoingDisaster BP OilSpillintheGulf: sewage spillsto localwaterways. enforcement actions brought byBaykeeper over thepast ten to years reduce sewage polluters. Theselawsuitsare thelatest inastringof CleanWater Act lem of sewagespillsto SanFranciscoBay, withnewlawsuitsfiledagainsttwelve Baykeeper to address hasrecently thewidespread multipliedourefforts prob pathogens thatcansicken andwindsurfers. wildlife,swimmers and PBDEs,allof whichcanharm theBay’s delicate ecosystem, alongwith and shorelines. Sewagecontainsmercury, pharmaceuticals, nutrients,hormones Sewage spillsare amajorsource of pollutionto theBayandsurrounding creeks Photo: DubinskyPhotography 50,000 gallonsof oilinto SanFranciscoBay, Baykeeper hasbeen a veteran of the2007 thelocalWaterkeepersactive role supporting alongtheGulfCoast. As From theoutsetof thisdisaster, SanFranciscoBaykeeper hastaken an the damageorto holdBPfinanciallyaccountableforit. harm to theecosystem, itwillbeextremelyderwater difficult to repair mixture,the dissolved oil-dispersant andnowayto calculate theun marine environment of theGulfof Mexico.Withnowayof removing oil remains unaccounted for, anditislikely dissolved into thedeep with theuseof 75percent Despite of dispersants. aclearsurface, the BP haseffectively “disappeared” hundreds of millionsof gallonsof oil and publicheathdamagescreated byitsaccident. campaign hasprevented afull,scientificaccounting of theecological sealed thegushingwell, butthecompany’s aggressive publicrelations critical needsof theecosystem andlocalcommunities.BPhasfinally to bedriven byBP’sefforts corporate interests ratherthanbythe Tragically, thedisaster byallowingresponse wasmademuchworse will besevere. and impacts to theregion’s once-richfisheriesand tourist economies Louisiana, Alabama, MississippiandFloridaislikely to bedevastating, to 325million.Damageto thefragilecoastal ecosystems of Texas, have been released into theGulf, withestimates rangingfrom five of theU.S.beganto unfold.Millionsofhistory gallonsof crudeoil Mexico onApril20,2010,oneof ecologicaldisasters theworst in With theexplosionof the British Petroleum oilwell intheGulfof Continued on page 6 - Cosco Busan - - Views Around theBay Page 8 Upcoming Events Page 7 Species Spotlight Page 6 Storm Water Pollution Page 4-5 Wins forWildlife Page 3 Director Letter from theExecutive Page 2 oil spill,whichdumpedjustover • • In ThisIssue Power PlantReform Ghost FleetCleanup

Fall 2010 Continued onpage 3

- Letter from the Executive Director Welcome to the Fall 2010 issue of Baykeeper News! San Francisco Baykeeper has been very busy over the spring and summer protecting San Francisco Baykeeper is the the Bay from pollution, with important new settlements to clean up pollution watchdog for San the Ghost Fleet and prevent sewage spills to the Bay. I’m also very Francisco Bay, using science and proud of our special initiative to assist the Gulf Coast Waterkeepers advocacy to reform policy and enforce clean water laws for the with their efforts to respond to the BP oil spill in the Gulf. benefit of the Bay ecosystem and I’m excited to say that we have also been laying the groundwork for Bay Area communities. the next stage of our work, having completed an extensive program 785 Market Street, Suite 850 planning session this spring to re-examine the top threats to the health of the Bay and San Francisco, CA 94103 the most effective ways to address them. With renewed insight into the data around (415) 856-0444 [email protected] historic, current and emerging pollutants, we’re designing new strategies to keep www.baykeeper.org Baykeeper on the cutting-edge of protecting the Bay from pollution.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS The Baykeeper team is ready for the challenge. We’re expanding our legal and advocacy Susan Cleveland-Knowles, JD, Chair staff this fall by welcoming associate attorney Naomi Kim Melver and legal associate Brian Drue, Treasurer Andrea Kopecky, who are both divers! And we’ve combined the Executive Director and Alpha Buie, Secretary Baykeeper roles, meaning I’m spending more time out patrolling the Bay and advocating Doreen Gounard before city governments for its protection. Sejal Choksi, our longtime Baykeeper, is Francesca Koe Jim Kuhns spending more time at home with her two young children and continues to share her Anuja Mendiratta expertise as Senior Program Advisor. Marina Moreno William A. Newsom, JD, I’m also thrilled to announce that we recently welcomed circumnavigating sailor Doreen Retired Justice Gounard and longtime environmental justice advocate Anuja Mendiratta to Baykeeper’s Leo P. O’Brien, JD Board of Directors. Gary Groff, Vice President of New Resource Bank, and Tim Kochis, Robert Reed Chairman of Aspiriant, have joined our Advisory Jeff Russell, JD Council. ADVISORY COUNCIL Be sure to check out our upcoming events listing Jack Bertges Steve Castleman on the last page. I want to encourage you to Susan Helfrey Monson support Baykeeper’s inaugural TransBay Relay on Gary Groff September 19 – either as a swimmer or with a Janelle Kellman contribution from dry land! And many thanks go Michael Herz out to Baykeeper Board member Jeff Russell and Tim Kochis, JD Sylvia McLaughlin swimmer Tom Keller for organizing the Dolphin Amy Quirk Club’s Medley swim in August, which Kent Smith raised more than $10,000 for Baykeeper. Terry Tamminen Special Advisor to the Board I am delighted to see all the great support for Baykeeper in our community. Thank you for STAFF making it possible for Baykeeper to do our critical Deb Self Executive Director work to protect the Bay. We look forward to Sejal Choksi, JD updating you again in our next newsletter, and Senior Program Advisor in the meantime, you can keep up to date by Jason Flanders, JD following us on Facebook and Twitter and signing Staff Attorney up for our e-newsletter at www.baykeeper.org. Naomi Kim Melver, JD Associate Attorney Andrea Kopecky Legal Associate Ian Wren Staff Scientist Eliet Henderson Development Director Tracy Corbin Deb Self Membership Coordinator Executive Director Above: Deb speaks at a rally against Proposition 23 to oppose Baykeeper News is a publication of suspending ’s landmark San Francisco Baykeeper, global warming regulations. a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Photo: Ian Wren, Baykeeper Staff Scientist Baykeeper News - 2 Two Wins for Wildlife in the Bay Cleaning Up the Toxic Ghost Fleet of Phasing Out Deadly Power Plant Technology In March, - San Francisco Baykeeper helped keeper successfully settled secure an improved policy this spring our lawsuit against the for phasing out the use of once- Maritime Administration to through cooling at power plants in force the clean- California. This destructive up of the toxic technology kills billions of Ghost Fleet of marine animals every year Suisun Bay. The at power plants through- agency agreed out California, including to permanently the Potrero Power Plant remove the in San Francisco and two A ship from the Ghost Fleet gets towed ships by 2017 and to clean plants in the Delta at Pittsburg and to San Francisco, where the exterior up the vessels’ peeling paint Antioch. will be cleaned in a contained dry dock. within the year. Photo: Jason Flanders, Baykeeper Staff Attorney Baykeeper and our fellow California The deteriorating ships, anchored in Suisun Bay since World War II Waterkeepers, led by the California and the Korean War, have polluted the surrounding sediment with an Coastkeeper Alliance, mobilized to This power plant in Pittsburg uses once-through cooling, estimated 20 tons of heavy metals, and projections estimate that 50 secure a strong policy that will im- which kills millions of marine more tons would be released if the ships remain in the Bay. Suisun prove how quickly and how effectively organisms annually. Bay provides habitat for several species of endangered fish, including power plants must replace their once- Photo: achesonblog (Flickr/CC) Chinook salmon and , and is an important feeding stop through cooling systems. Ending the along the Pacific Flyway for migrating waterfowl. Cleaning up the use of once-through cooling at California’s coastal power plants will Ghost Fleet will help restore the health of this important Bay habitat. help make all our coastal waterways safer for marine life.

BP Oil Disaster in the Gulf (Continued from page 1) working over the past two and a half ties and shorelines years to raise the bar for oil spill response by investigating the Coast and handing out Guard’s role, recommending critical policy changes and helping pass protective gear to seven statewide oil spill bills. As a result, we’ve been able to provide fishermen helping key technical expertise to the Gulf Coast Waterkeepers. with the cleanup. In addition to spending many hours on the phone offering technical Another key lesson support and advice, Baykeeper sent Staff Scientist Ian Wren to Louisi- from the Cosco Busan ana to help Louisiana Bayoukeeper and Lower Mississippi Riverkeeper spill was the need with mapping, outreach and documentation efforts. Baykeeper Field to send large, highly Coordinator Rosalind Becker was sent to Pensacola for a month to trained wildlife crews help the Emerald Coastkeeper with volunteer coordination and field into the field to surveys along the Florida panhandle. rescue oiled animals. Unfortunately, the One critical lesson learned from the Coast Guard’s response to the Coast Guard deferred was that the federal and state government must wildlife operations to work closely with local experts (like Baykeeper) who are most knowl- the State of Louisi- edgeable about the area’s waterways and resources. Gulf Waterkeep- ana, failing in its duty ers have generally been met with a chilly response from BP or have to ensure that oiled Baykeeper Staff Scientist Ian Wren surveys the been locked out of response planning entirely. As a result, they have wildlife is rescued. Louisiana coastline with Michael and Paul Orr turned their attention to documenting the impacts to local communi- Very few sea turtles of Lower Mississippi Riverkeeper. Photo: Dubinsky and birds are being Photography rescued now, while Follow the Latest Baykeeper News hundreds perish in the field. Baykepeer Go to www.baykeeper.org to sign Baykeeper will continue to work closely with the Gulf Coast Water- Monthly E-News up for our monthly E-News updates keepers to assist with their efforts to deal with the ongoing impacts of the Gulf oil spill. We’re also partnering with the Waterkeeper Join our page and become a Alliance, Turtle Island Restoration Network and Center for Biologi- fan of San Francisco Baykeeper cal Diversity to reform offshore drilling regulations to prevent future disasters. Here in the Bay Area, Baykeeper will continue our ground- breaking work to improve oil spill response policies for San Francisco Follow us on Twitter at Bay. It is vital that we remain dedicated to preventing another disaster www.twitter.com/SFBaykeeper on the scale of the BP oil spill in the Gulf.

3 - Fall 2010 Storm Water Pollution in San Francisco Bay

COMMERCIAL CENTERS & RESIDENTIAL INDUSTRY ROADWAYS PARKING LOTS

Residential storm water Industrial storm water Runoff from roadways Trash, oil, grease, toxic chemicals, runoff contains pesticides, can include oil, grease, contains oil, grease, trash, fertilizers, herbicides and fertilizers, and household toxic chemicals and and heavy metals such as insecticides are contained in chemicals, as well as heavy metals such as copper released from runoff from commercial centers bacteria and pathogens lead, nickel and vehicle brake pads. and parking lots. from faulty septic systems chromium. and cracked lateral lines.

STORM WATER DISCHARGE PIPE

Storm water collects pollutants as it rushes over homes, buildings, SEWER PIPES parking lots and roadways. In winter, overloaded Unlike sewer systems, storm water pipes leak water collected in storm into sewage pipes, drains does not get sent contributing to sewage to a treatment plant spills in the Bay. before it enters the Bay.

Designer: Tania Kac

Baykeeper News - 4 Storm Water Pollution: Low-Profile But High-Impact Every day, pollution like trash, oil, pesticides, from urbanized areas – thereby reducing the pollutant pathway at fertilizers, heavy metals and household its source. By implementing sustainable drainage systems such as chemicals are washed into the Bay. As rainwater green roofs, swales and rainwater collection systems, the amount and water from our spouts, sprinklers and hoses of urban runoff reaching the Bay is reduced, while also beautifying rushes over concrete and asphalt surfaces into the area and reducing freshwater consumption. These “low impact storm drains, it picks up pollution from our development” techniques can both reduce the quantity and improve homes, buildings and streets. Storm drains then the quality of storm water that reaches the Bay. Photo: Peter Kaminski Photo: Peter empty the water – and all the pollution it has San Francisco Baykeeper advocates for cities and regulators to adopt picked up along the way – into creeks and sloughs that empty into a low impact development approach to storm water management. the Bay, without being filtered or treated. In the last year, we have worked closely with several Bay Area cities Storm water pollution is now the leading cause of water quality to incorporate low impact development requirements into plans impairment in the Bay Area (and in virtually every other urban area for future residential and commercial growth. With more effective in the nation). When the Clean Water Act was adopted in 1972, it management of storm water, the Bay Area can achieve a major primarily addressed single-point sources of pollution, such as a reduction in pollution to San Francisco Bay. discharge pipe from a wastewater treatment plant. After scientists and regulators realized the importance of regulating non-point sources of pollution, the Act was amended in 1987 to address storm water from municipal storm water systems and from industrial sites. Since then, municipalities have been required to monitor storm water and to reduce runoff-related pollution through methods such as street cleaning or installing storm drain traps to collect trash. However, given the diffuse nature of pollutants found in storm water and the difficulties in regulating each individual source, many pollutants still reach local waterways. Increasingly, cities are turning to new urban development strategies Low impact design strategies, like this green roof at the California Academy of Sciences, help minimize storm water pollution in the Bay. that reduce the amount of storm water washing into storm drains Photo: Jamiriquai (Flickr/CC)

How You Can Help Prevent Storm Water Pollution to the Bay

Learn what you can do around your home, in your yard and in the 66 Clean up litter when you see it. Whatever trash makes its way to community to help reduce the flow of storm water pollution to the Bay. our gutters gets washed into the Bay when it rains. Always put Find more details at www.baykeeper.org. trash in a trash bin, and keep the lids on your trash and recycle bins firmly closed. 66 Limit your pesticide and fertilizer use. Pesticides can harm aquatic life such as fish and amphibians, and fertilizer releases 66 Pick up after your pet. Bacteria, parasites and viruses from pet phosphorus into our waterways, which can cause algal blooms waste can easily wash into storm drains and end up in the Bay that deplete oxygen and block sunlight in the water. without being treated. 66 Reuse rainwater. Reduce your water consumption and storm 66 Help your city build Bay-friendly storm water systems. Learn water pollution to the Bay by capturing rainwater in cisterns or more about the storm water systems where you live, and support buckets outside your home for later reuse. funding increases for infrastructure repairs and upgrades. It’s important that we invest in maintaining effective storm drains in 66 Practice Bay-friendly car maintenance. When you wash your order to reduce Bay pollution. car in your driveway or street, harmful chemicals flow into storm drains and end up in the Bay. Instead, take your car to a car wash 66 Report pollution to Baykeeper. facility where the water is diverted to a wastewater treatment If you see suspicious drainage plant. Also, check your car regularly for leaks – oil and gas leave from a construction site or residues on the road that will eventually be flushed into the Bay. industrial facility, report it to Baykeeper’s pollution incident 66 Don’t pour hazardous products down sink or storm drains. hotline at 1-800-KEEP-BAY or Once they enter the sewer system, many hazardous chemicals [email protected]. used in commercial cleaning and yard products end up in the Bay, harming fish, birds and other wildlife. Always take toxic household 66 Become a supporter of San and yard products to a hazardous waste collection facility. Francisco Baykeeper. We’ve been the Bay’s pollution 66 Plant a rain garden. Direct the rainwater from your roof, driveway watchdog since 1989, and walkways to a garden containing native, drought-resistant strengthening clean water plants. A rain garden absorbs water and breaks down pollutants laws and holding polluters naturally instead of allowing polluted water to flow to the Bay. accountable. Support a clean 66 Use ashtrays. Cigarette butts are one of the most common types and healthy Bay for all by The use of rain barrels can help of trash found on our shorelines. making a contribution today. reduce storm water pollution to the Bay. Photo: Pug Freak (Flickr/CC) 5 - Fall 2010 Baykeeper Victory to Clean Up Sewage Spills in Millbrae (Continued from page 1) Last winter, more than 12 million gallons spills that impact the in sewage spills were reported from cities across the Bay Area, and Bay, including popular more than 170 million gallons of undertreated sewage were released recreation spots at How Can You Help? into the Bay from overflow facilities in the East Bay. Sewer systems Corkscrew Slough in the Bay Area – many of which are 50 to 80 years old – continue to and . In Recycle Your Cooking Oil suffer from years of neglect. Every winter, rainwater infiltrates these February, Baykeeper This Holiday Season failing sewer systems, spiking the volume of wastewater traveling successfully settled through the collection pipes and sewer mains, which leads to spills our lawsuit against The preparation and cleanup of rich and overflows from old and unrepaired collection pipes. the City of San Carlos, holiday meals is a leading cause of which agreed to invest Under our new agreement, the City of Millbrae will make substantial sewage spills in millions of dollars in improvements to its aging infrastructure over the next six years and winter months. When making collection perform regular maintenance to reduce sewage spills. The City has system improvements washing oily pots and also agreed to invest $525,000 in projects to help restore the health in order to reduce pans, first wipe them of the Bay watershed. One project will offer financial support to prop- sewage spills and to out with a paper tow- erty owners who replace broken private sewer lines that contribute invest $200,000 in el and dispose of it in to sewage spills or who implement low impact development features funding for watershed – such as collecting rainwater for the trash. And if you have a fryer-full restoration projects. Baykeeper’s Recent Lawsuits reuse and replacing concrete with of used cooking oil, don’t pour it down to Stop Sewage Spills permeable surfaces – in order to In the East Bay, the drain – recycle it! We’ll announce to the Bay reduce the flow of storm water Baykeeper has joined cooking oil recycling locations for the runoff to storm drains and sewer an Environmental holiday season at www.baykeeper.org. pipes. Protection Agency lawsuit against six In San Mateo County, many cities Stege Sanitary District cities and one sewage have long deferred the necessary Albany district – , Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville, Oakland, Piedmont Berkeley repair and maintenance of sewer and the Stege Sanitary District – that are satellite systems of the Emeryville Piedmont pipes, leading to a protracted Oakland East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD). This enforcement action regional problem with sewage Alameda is the culmination of years of Baykeeper efforts to hold the cities spills. Baykeeper has filed suit accountable for leaky sewage collection systems that inundate against the Cities of Millbrae, EBMUD treatment plants with massive amounts of rainwater and San Carlos, San Bruno and South South San Francisco sewage, leading to major sewage overflows to the Bay. San Bruno San Francisco, and the West Bay Millbrae Sanitation District – all areas with Baykeeper urges all Bay Area communities to invest in Bay-friendly Burlingame Hillsborough dilapidated sewage collection sewage systems, and in the meantime, we’ll keep pressing forward Burlingame Hills San Carlos West Bay Sanitary District systems and high rates of upland with our efforts to hold the worst polluters accountable. Bay Species Spotlight: California Brown Pelican

One of the most common and easily identifiable birds around San they were listed as an Francisco Bay is the California brown pelican. Found on beaches, endangered species. The harbors, marinas, bays, and offshore islands, it is one of the poison caused the shells of largest bird species in the Bay Area, measuring an average of 4 feet the birds’ eggs to thin, pre- from beak to tail and with an average wingspan of 7 feet. Ranging venting the embryo from from Mexico to Washington State, they can be found in the Bay Area maturing. After the use of mainly during the fall and winter months. DDT was banned in the 1970s, the population of The California brown pelican is a plunge diver, feeding primarily off brown pelicans gradually anchovies and other small fish found in the waters of the Bay and made a comeback, and the ocean. Using its large bill pouch as a net, a pelican can dive from as bird was removed from the high as 65 feet in the air, scooping up water and prey as it lands on Endangered Species List the surface. A pelican’s pouch can hold up to 3 gallons of water! The in 2009. Happily, there are pelican then strains out the water from the side of its bill and gulps now about 8,000 breeding down the meal that remains. pairs in California. California brown pelicans breed on rocky islands such as the Channel Today, the Louisiana brown Islands and islands off the Mexican coast. Male pelicans gather twigs, pelican, cousin to the reeds and grass while females construct the nest, where a brood of California brown pelican, is 2 to 4 eggs is laid. The eggs are incubated by both parents, and the facing a grave threat from young birds leave the nest between two and three months of age. the BP oil spill disaster (see Brown pelicans can live to be 25 to 30 years old. article about Baykeeper’s The California brown pelican is often In the 1960s, the use of the pesticide DDT caused the population of work in the Gulf on page 1 spotted around marinas and harbors in the California brown pelican to decline precipitously, and in 1970, of this issue). the Bay Area. Photo: Ingrid Taylar (Flickr/CC)

Baykeeper News - 6 Upcoming Events Make your donation to support San Francisco Baykeeper today!

TING T Baykeeper has been San Francisco EC HE T B Bay’s pollution watchdog for more than O A R Y P

twenty years. Our small, highly skilled

staff uses science, advocacy and the courts to strengthen clean water laws and hold polluters accountable. As the

Join the TransBay Relay S I 9 only on-the-water nonprofit dedicated N C E 1 9 8 Sunday, September 19, 8 am to protecting the Bay from pollution, Open water swimmers take on the challenge of cross- we’re proud to work on behalf of ing San Francisco Bay to raise money and awareness the Bay Area community to improve the health and for San Francisco Baykeeper. The 9-mile 3-person relay sustainability of San Francisco Bay. swim begins in the shadow of the With your help, we have: and ends in the East Bay at the Emeryville Marina. Celebration and award ceremony to follow. To register, •• Secured strong donate or volunteer, visit www.baykeeper.org/ agreements to stop transbayrelay. sewage spills from polluting cities; •• Cleaned up the Ghost Fleet of Suisun Bay; •• Improved management of storm water pollution in Bay Area cities; •• Passed a law to help clean up abandoned boats that are polluting our waterways; •• Forced EPA to regulate Photo: Hudson Henry Volunteer for Coastal Cleanup Day pesticides sprayed into Saturday, September 25th, 9 am – noon waterways across the nation; Baykeeper is hosting a beach cleanup at India Basin •• Improved oil spill response policies for the Bay; and Shoreline Park for California’s annual Coastal Cleanup •• Protected the vibrancy, health and wildlife of our Day, and we need your help. Last year, volunteers beloved San Francisco Bay. picked up over half a ton of trash from this park! Sign It’s the contributions of individuals like you that has enabled up to volunteer online at www.signuptocleanup.org, us to do this critical work. We are your San Francisco email [email protected] or contact Member- Baykeeper. With your continued support, we look forward to ship Coordinator Tracy Corbin at 415-856-0444 x112. even more exciting successes on behalf of the Bay. Please use the enclosed envelope to make your donation today, and help continue our efforts to defend the Bay from pollution. Thank you for your support! Have you heard about Attend the Wine & Spirits Top 100 Benefit Baykeeper’s new Bay Stewards Wednesday, October 13, 6:00 – 8:00 pm program for monthly donors? By Galleria at the SF Design Center making regular monthly donations to Baykeeper, you can simplify your Taste wine from this year’s top 100 wineries while giving while helping reduce our supporting Baykeeper’s work to protect the Bay at the administrative costs, so that each Wine & Spirits Top 100 Tasting. Meet the winemakers dollar goes even further toward protecting the Bay. It takes and feast on delicious bites from Bay Area restaurants, only a small contribution of your monthly budget – but it including fresh oysters, local cheeses and artisan makes a big difference for the health of the Bay. Becoming a specialties. Tickets to benefit Baykeeper are available Bay Steward is the most effective way to support our mission for purchase at www.wineandspiritsmagazine.com. of protecting San Francisco Bay. Use the enclosed envelope or make a recurring gift at www.baykeeper.org. Sign up today!

7 - Fall 2010 785 Market Street, Suite 850 San Francisco, CA 94103

Fall 2010 Baykeeper News

VIEWS AROUND THE BAY

Above: On August 3, swimmers from San Francisco’s Dolphin Club swam laps beneath the Golden Gate Bridge using butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle strokes. One swimmer completed over 2 miles in handcuffs! The athletes tackled this adventure to raise awareness of how pollution impacts swimmers in the Bay and to raise funds for San Francisco Baykeeper. Thank you to all of the swimmers, pilots and supporters who helped make this event a great success for Baykeeper and the Bay! Photo: Deb Self, Baykeeper Executive Director

Right: Mission Creek Park in San Francisco implements low impact design methods such as bioswales, native plants and permeable walkways to reduce storm water pollution to the Bay. Read more about the impacts of storm water pollution on pages 4-5 of this issue. Photo: SFCityScape (Flickr/CC)

www.baykeeper.org Pollution hotline: 1-800 KEEP BAY