Firms finding out that preventing pollution pays off By JIM DiPESO Pacific Northwest PPRC Soap suds bubble to the ground during vehicle washing. Dirt, grease and chemicals meander across a parking lot and down a storm drain.
Soil erodes off construction and excavation sites.
Fertilizer and pesticides leach unseen from overwatered landscaping. Toxic paints flake off boat bottoms and into a bay. Fresh water is used once and dumped. Soap suds and soil particles may seem penny ante as pollution sources go. Reducing the flow of sediment, chemical wastes and oxygen-depleting nutrients into waterways likely will be one of the key elements in the salmon recovery program the Puget Sound region is facing, as will using water more efficiently so there is more to go around.