August 23, 2006

 

New York’s Suffolk County will use a duck to help educate the public about storm water issues.

The campaign was designed to teach the community about the hazards of dumping pollutants into storm drains. Throughout the county, road drains will have an image of a duck with the message: “Don’t Duck Your Responsibilities”.

The Suffolk County Department of Public Works partnered with the Cornell Cooperative Extension, a Cornell University outreach program that helps New York communities to improve their environments, to get the campaign off the ground.

Children of Suffolk County have been invited to participate in a contest to name the duck. The winner will be announced by Suffolk County Legislator Louis D’Amaro (D-North Babylon).

According to The Northender, this project is part of the public education and outreach component of a five-year, $1.8 million storm water management program funded through the Suffolk Water Quality Protection and Restoration Fund. This fund was established in 1999, and was created with a 1⁄4 of 1% sales tax.