Auto and homeowners commit numerous actions that hurt the environment unknowingly. Simple acts such as overwatering one's lawn creates a runoff which cause pesticides and fertilizers to flow into storm drains that empty into the bay. Litter, pet waste and improperly disposed car care products cause the same problem. The American Petroleum Institute estimates that only ten percent of the two hundred million gallons of used oil generated annually by Americans is disposed of properly. Single- family residential areas contribute the largest loads of heavy metals to the Bay.
Heavy metals are the most dangerous types of air pollutants and include mercury, lead and cadmium.
Adding to the pollutants created by residents, are construction sites, water craft, oil spills and natural seeps and wastewater. Unlike residential waste, all of these sources of pollution are considered legal and no action was taken to stop the companies and or individuals responsible for them until the restoration project began. Although this project is experiencing great successes in restoring plant life and wildlife, it has failed at changing the habits of the public. Companies argue that the waste emitted from their facilities meets all set regulations and that to further purify the waste and excreted material would be too costly. In order to succeed in limiting the pollution created form large companies federal laws with harsher punishments need to be established.