Preventing Pollution
Coastal and Bay Cleanup Day
Coastal Cleanup Day (CCD) is an annual waterway and land cleanup held on the third Saturday of September. Tens of thousands of people across the state come together to help make our communities cleaner and healthier for people and animals.
San Mateo County coordinates CCD in conjunction with the California Coastal Commission, Ocean Conservancy, and many statewide and local partners (see below).
Cigarette Butt Litter Reduction Program
Thousands of cigarette butts get picked up in San Mateo County every Coastal Cleanup Day.
When butts are littered onto streets and sidewalks, they are easily washed, blown, or flicked down storm drains that lead straight into local creeks, the Bay, and the Pacific Ocean without any treatment. In addition to being unsightly, cigarette butts never disappear because they are made of plastic and do not biodegrade. They are toxic to marine and freshwater fish.
Fitzgerald ASBS Pollution Reduction Program
The ASBS is a Special Area Worth Protecting
The James V. Fitzgerald Area of Special Biological Significance (Fitzgerald ASBS) is located approximately 7 miles north of Half Moon Bay and extends from 4th Street, Montara south to the Pillar Point breakwater. The Fitzgerald Marine Reserve (Reserve) is located within the boundary of the ASBS. The Reserve was created in 1969 to protect the mosaic of habitats and tremendous diversity of marine life that exists in the area.
- ASBS Final Project Report
- Appendix A: Pilot BMP Pre- and Post-Construction Photo Documentation
- Appendix B: Pilot Storm Drain BMP Summary Report
- Appendix C: MidCoast Storm Drain Inventory and Assessment Project Drainage Report
- Appendix D: Microbial Source Tracking Study
- Appendix E: Phase 2 Storm Drain BMPs Pre- and Post-Construction Photo Documentation
- Appendix F: Phase 2 Storm Drain BMP Summary Report
- Appendix G: Phase 2 Upland Private BMPs Final Report
- Appendix H: Education and Outreach Materials
- Appendix I: BMP Operation and Maintenance Plan
- Appendix J: Future Planning Report
- Appendix K: Assessment of County Policies and Programs Related to Water Quality
- Fitzgerald Special Edition Newsletter 2014
- Fitzgerald Special Editition Newsletter 2013
- Fitzgerald Special Edition Newsletter 2012
- Free Technical Assistance for Homeowners
- San Francisco Estuary Institute - Historical Ecology of the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve Critical Coastal Area
- Coastal Commission
- Fitzgerald Marine Reserve CCA Fact Sheet
- ASBS Special Protections
- Municipal Regional Permit
- California Ocean Plan
- Pilot BMPs
- Microbial Source tracking Sampling Locations
- California ASBS
- Phase 2 Storm Drain BMP Sites
- Take the Pledge Too
- Program Overview
- Monitoring BMP
- Bioswale and Rain Gardens
- Pervious Pavements
- LID Residential
- Graywater Talk
- LID for Small Projects
- Read more
Breaking Our Bag Habit
Before San Mateo County’s Reusable Bag Ordinance went into effect, we used about 63 million single-use plastic bags every year, and most of them ended up in landfills, or as litter on land and in our waterways.
- surveys conducted by the County
- Reusable Bag Ordinance
- San Mateo County Reusable Bag FEIR
- San Mateo County Single Use Bag Ban DEIR
- Reusable Bag Safety
- Frequently Asked Questions for Retailers
- Retailer Factsheet - English/Spanish
- Retailer Factsheet - English/Chinese
- Retailer Poster - English/Chinese (8 1/2 x 11)
- Retailer Poster - English/Spanish (8 1/2 x 11)
- Retailer Register Tent Card - English/Chinese/Spanish (8 1/2 x 11)
- Suppliers of Recycled Paper Bags
- Suppliers of Reusable Bags
- Donating Your Unused Plastic Bags
- Read more