 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Environmental
Contaminants
Contaminants
enter the environment in many different ways: through the disposal of
municipal waste, discharge from factories, or spills. In other cases,
the origin of pollution may not be quite as clear. For example, a stream
can be contaminated by agriculture pesticides used dozen of miles away
because the chemicals are carried to the stream by runoff or groundwater.
Pollutants can also be carried for long distances through the air and
deposited on lands and waters by rain.
The Environmental
Contaminants program is focused on identifying and preventing harmful
contaminant effects on fish and wildlife, restoring resources degraded
by contaminants, and reducing the negative impact of contaminants on the
environment.
This is accomplished through:
- Identifying environmentally
sensitive areas and determining the extent of contamination on existing
National Wildlife Refuges, proposed refuge lands and throughout the
region.
- Restoring damaged
habitats into viable and productive homes for fish and wildlife.
- Reducing the effects
of contaminants on fish and wildlife resulting from oil and chemical
spills.
- Advising federal agencies on pesticide registration, hazardous waste sites, water quality standards, dredging and disposal of materials to fish and wildlife and their habitats.
- Discard used motor
oil, paints and other potential pollutants to an approved repository.
- Participate in
local hazardous waste collections for household chemicals, pesticides,
paints, batteries and fluorescent tubes, and get involved in community
recycling programs.
- Reduce or eliminate
the use of pesticides and fertilizers on home lawns and gardens.
- Practice conservation landscaping to reduce pollution and enhance wildlife habitat.
For more information:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service
300 Ala Moana Blvd, Room 3-122
Box 50088
Honolulu, Hawai`i 96850
(808) 792-9400
(808) 792-9580 fax
Ecosystem
Planning | Conservation
Partnership
Environmental Review
| Conservation
Planning and Permits