Dozens of simple, everyday car maintenance tasks contribute pollution to our estuary. Just throwing away an old battery, washing the car, or driving can add up to a significant threat to the coastal bays ecosystem. The millions of cars traversing our highways leave dozens of pollutants in their wake. These car-related pollutants are degrading water in the coastal bays, particularly in the bays north of the Route 50 bridge. Airborne emissions alone account for one third of the nutrients entering the coastal bays.

• Don't dump used oil, gasoline or other automotive products in the toilet, sink, storm drain, street gutter, or on the ground. Treat rags laden with paint, gasoline or solvents as hazardous waste. Oil, gasoline, and antifreeze are toxic. Recycle motor oil, batteries, tires, gear lubricant, brake and transmission fluid by placing them in strong plastic containers and taking them to a gas station, service station, marina or to the transfer station in Berlin. Oil can be re-used once contaminants have been removed. 1-800-473-2925 for nearest oil and antifreeze recycler A quart of motor oil spilled onto the ground will contaminate 250,000 gallons of drinking water.
• Pump gas and change fluid carefully to avoid spills on the ground. Place a drip pan under your work area. Pour kitty litter, corn meal, or sawdust on spills and allow clean up after several hours. Be especially careful with antifreeze whose deceptively sweet taste can lure a pet or child to its death.
• Store car wax and unused automotive fluids in airtight containers in a cool, dry, dark place. These items have a long shelf life and better used than discarded or recycled.
• Wash your car with as little soap as possible. Soap is toxic to fish and shellfish. Get a pistol grip hose nozzle to conserve water. Dump the used bucket of soapy water in the toilet or sink, not the street or storm drain. Wash car on grass or gravel, where soap suds can better filter through vegetation before entering the coastal bays. Avoid car washing on paved areas. If you use car washes, patronize those that recycle 80 percent water. Wash car with biodegradable, low phosphate soap.
• Substitute non-toxic products whenever possible. Baking soda paste works well on battery heads, cable clamps and chrome. Mix the soda with a mild, biodegradable dishwashing soap to clean wheels and tires. For windows, try white vinegar or lemon juice mixed with water. Read product labels and choose those with the least toxic ingredients.
• Maintain air conditioning to prevent freon leaks. Run air conditioner once every two weeks to keep seals from cracking. Freon is a chloroflourocarbon which contribute to the thinning of the earth's ozone layer. Fix oil and gas leaks from your car as soon as you notice signs of leakage on your driveway. Use absorbents (one possibility is cat litter) to clean up oil and gas drippings that might otherwise be washed away in a storm.
• Ask your mechanic to practice environmentally sound shop management and CFC recovery. Mention that it makes a difference to your patronage. Make sure your autobody shop understands how and why to make a difference. See page X for references you can share with your mechanic.
• Ignore desires to pave your gravel or grass driveway.
• Get regular tune ups: Dirty carburetors or fuel injectors, clogged air filters, worn plugs, etc. not only waste gas but they also lower gas mileage and increase emissions.
• Keep your butt in the ashtray. Cigarette butts are tainted with water-degrading chemicals and are responsible for the deaths of thousands of birds, sea turtles and fish annually which die after ingesting the synthetic waste.
• Turn off your engine if you are planning on idling more than 30 seconds.
• When purchasing a car consider the mileage it will get and calculate your potential savings. The average person drives more than 10,000 miles per year, making the money savings from 15 to 30 miles-per-gallon astronomical.
• Plan your trips to accomplish several errands at once and avoid driving during heaviest traffic hours.
• Save money and gasoline by reducing your engine load. Turn off the air conditioner when possible and use overdrive if your car has it. Air conditioners decrease fuel efficiency by 20 percent.
• Drive 55. Driving 55 mph improves fuel economy by 15 percent over a 65 mph speed.
• Have your wheels aligned and keep your tires inflated properly. Low tire pressures wastes more than 2 million gallons of gasoline in the U.S. every year.
• Car-pool. Automobile exhaust is a major source of pollutants and nutrients to the bays. Use public transportation, walk, or bicycle whenever possible. Adjust your schedule to minimize extra car trips.
• One quart of spilled oil will produce an approximately one-acre oil slick or contaminate 250,000 gallons of drinking water
• 51-67 million gallons of oil from drivers improperly disposed of annually, six times the Valdez (Am Petroleum Inste)
• Am driver use 10 billion gallons more gasoline than they did in 1989 (US Dept. Transp.)
• A single quart of motor oil can contaminate 250,000 gallons of drinking water
• Cars have: motor oil, battery acid, gasoline, antifreeze, transmission and brake fluids.
• Air conditioners decrease fuel efficiency by 20 percent
• The average person drives more than 10,000 miles per year, making the money savings from 15 to 30 miles-per-gallon astronomical
• Driving 55 mph improves fuel economy by 15 percent over a 65 mph speed.
• Forty percent of "do-it-yourself" mechanics pour oil or spill used motor oil onto roads, driveways, or lawns, releasing a total of 80 million gallons each year. Just one gallon of oil can create an 8 acre oil slick.