DATE: March 24, 2009

CONTACT: Katie Giacalone, 843-554-7226, ext. 115
kgiacal@clemson.edu

WRITER: Peter Hull, 843-554-7226, ext. 118
phull@clemson.edu

Carolina Clear’s water pollution awareness ad campaign now in the Charleston area

NORTH CHARLESTON — Carolina Clear, a stormwater education and awareness program of the Clemson University Restoration Institute, has rolled out its multimedia advertising campaign in the Charleston area.

Four billboards — located on U.S. 17 just south of S.C. 162 on Interstate 526 near the Dorchester Road exit and on Interstate 26 near the Spruill Avenue and U.S. 17 South exits — carry a simple message: We all live downstream.

The billboards show a goldfish leaping out of the fishbowl while oil spills in. The caption reads, “Nobody wants polluted water.”

In addition, a series of television and radio commercials will run on local stations. A similar campaign is under way in the Myrtle Beach area and will appear in other regions of the state.

Through its Lowcountry collaborative — the Ashley Cooper Stormwater Education Consortium — Carolina Clear’s goal is to minimize polluted stormwater runoff by educating the public, youth, builders, developers, homeowners and government officials about how to keep water in the state’s streams, rivers and basins protected from pollution.

“From local governments to the general public, it is the responsibility of everyone to keep surface waters free of pollution,” said Katie Giacalone, Carolina Clear’s statewide coordinator.

Simple acts such as picking up after the dog and throwing the bag away or not fertilizing right before a storm can help keep rivers, lakes and beaches clean. This type of pollution — people pollution — is the greatest threat to the nation’s waters, Giacalone said.

The Environmental Protection Agency and the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control emphasize public education as a fundamental component in reducing stormwater runoff pollution.

The EPA requires that certain municipalities and counties educate and involve the public as part of the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System Phase II stormwater permit program.

Clemson’s David Joyner, coordinator of the Ashley Cooper consortium, said the ads demonstrate that people cannot take critical natural resources for granted. Awareness of the issue is vital to improving water quality, he said.

“South Carolina’s rivers represent a vital connection between our economy, ecology and public health,” Joyner said. “Polluted stormwater runoff is the greatest threat to our water resources.”

On the Web
For more information about Clemson’s Carolina Clear program and what communities are doing to educate the public on pollution prevention, visit www.clemson.edu/public/carolinaclear/.

To watch the commercials and see a map of billboard locations, click the “Mass Media” link on the above Web site.

The Clemson University Restoration Institute

The mission of the Clemson University Restoration Institute is to advance knowledge in integrative approaches to the restoration and sustainability of historic, ecological and urban infrastructure resources and to drive economic growth. The institute’s vision is to build a sustainable future through education, collaborative restoration research and strategic partnerships. On the Web at www.clemson.edu/restoration/.