Northwest Spill Kit Program

Municipal Stormwater Education and Outreach

The Northwest Spill Kit Program helps municipalities meet their stormwater permit requirements while providing practical pollution prevention tools for local businesses. Through on-site visits, customized spill plans, and multilingual training, we empower businesses to protect our waterways from harmful pollutants.

How It Works

Our comprehensive business engagement approach delivers measurable results:

1. Direct Business Outreach

Our staff visits businesses in targeted sectors, establishing relationships and assessing specific needs.

2. Customized Resources

Each business receives:

  • Free spill kit with materials to manage a 5-gallon spill

  • Site-specific spill plan

  • Drainage map showing connection to local waterways

  • Multilingual instructional materials

  • Hands-on staff training

3. Multilingual Support

Effective communication drives successful implementation. We provide services in:

  • English

  • Spanish

  • Vietnamese

  • Mandarin

  • Cantonese

  • Korean

4. Documentation & Reporting

Municipalities receive comprehensive documentation for permit compliance, including:

  • Detailed tracking of all business engagements

  • Implementation metrics

  • Participation documentation

  • Program evaluation

Proven Results

The Northwest Spill Kit Program builds on a proven methodology with documented success:

  • 83% of businesses adopt recommended spill prevention practices

  • 72% increase in business awareness of stormwater impacts

  • 11% of businesses report using their spill kits to clean up actual spills

  • Significant reduction in potential cleanup costs and pollution incidents

Our foundation in social marketing principles, originally developed with in 2012, ensures high rates of business engagement and behavior adoption.

Benefits for Municipalities

NPDES Permit Compliance

  • Direct support for Education and Outreach requirements

  • Documentation of behavior change programs

  • Evidence of targeted business engagement

  • Support for Source Control program implementation

Cost-Effective Pollution Prevention

  • Prevention of costly cleanup events

  • Reduction in municipal response resource needs

  • Efficient permit compliance documentation

  • Proactive approach to pollution management

Enhanced Community Relations

  • Positive engagement with local businesses

  • Practical, solutions-focused assistance

  • Demonstration of environmental stewardship

  • Valuable service to the business community

Regional Water Quality Protection

  • Direct reduction in pollutant loads

  • Support for Puget Sound recovery goals

  • Tangible action toward stormwater management

New Program Features

Multilingual Training Video

In collaboration with Department of Ecology, Kirkland, Issaquah, Bothell, and Shoreline, we're developing a comprehensive stormwater training video professionally overdubbed in five languages. This resource will reinforce concepts covered during in-person visits and provide on-demand training for new staff.

Enhanced Evaluation Framework

Our strengthened methodology documents behavior change outcomes with improved tracking systems and follow-up procedures to measure long-term adoption.

Currently Serving

The Northwest Spill Kit Program is currently active in:

  • Kirkland

  • Issaquah

  • Des Moines

  • Pacific

  • Bellevue

We're expanding to additional municipalities throughout the Puget Sound region.

Our Experience

BEA Environmental brings extensive experience in stormwater pollution prevention. Our leadership pioneered this successful program methodology during their time at ECOSS (2013-2015), where it reached over 2,800 businesses throughout the Puget Sound region.

This proven approach combines technical expertise with practical solutions to help businesses implement effective stormwater management practices.

Partner With Us

Bring the Northwest Spill Kit Program to your municipality:

  1. Schedule an initial consultation

  2. Identify priority business sectors in your jurisdiction

  3. Develop a customized program proposal

  4. Establish implementation timeline and metrics

Testimonial

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How does this program help with our municipal permit?
A: The Northwest Spill Kit Program directly supports S5.C.2 (Education and Outreach) requirements while contributing to S5.C.8 (Source Control) and S5.C.5 (IDDE) objectives. We provide comprehensive documentation of all activities for your permit reporting.

Q: What types of businesses benefit most from this program?
A: While all businesses can benefit, those with high-risk activities show the greatest impact, including automotive businesses, restaurants, manufacturing facilities, property management, and retail operations handling potentially harmful materials.

Q: How is this program different from basic compliance inspections?
A: Our approach focuses on education, relationship-building, and providing practical tools rather than enforcement. This creates a collaborative atmosphere that leads to higher rates of voluntary behavior adoption and sustainable practice implementation.

Q: What makes your multilingual approach effective?
A: Our experience shows that providing education in a business owner's or staff member's primary language significantly increases comprehension, retention, and implementation of stormwater best practices. This practical approach ensures higher rates of behavior adoption.