Environmental Protection

Visit the Dispose of Waste web page to learn more about waste disposal.

EH&S welcomes clubs, service organizations, and groups of volunteers who would like to perform an activity that benefits the natural environment on campus and beyond.

If you have a group of five or more people we can host you and your volunteers while your group gains knowledge in environmental protection issues and restoration techniques. Contact ehs-ep@berkeley.edu for more information.

These are typical volunteer events that last on average two to three hours:

1. Campus Clean-ups - focus on the creek corridor, the natural areas, or the entire campus picking up litter and preventing it from traveling out to the Bay and beyond. EH&S will provide litter bags or buckets, gloves, a safety talk, and for large groups, will arrange to have large trash bins staged at a central campus location. And now that campus is Tobacco-Free we can also host a cigarette butt hunt where volunteers can win prizes for the most butts collected!
2. Invasive plant removal and weeding of restoration areas - help keep our campus natural areas free of invasive weeds. EH&S staff or Student Restoration Leaders will provide instruction in removal techniques and weed identification skills before leading your group in a restoration event either on campus, up in the Upper Strawberry Creek Watershed (requires either a hike or independently arranged transportation), or at one of Cal’s other properties. We provide tools, gloves, and a safety talk before starting in on the hard work of controlling weeds.
3. Planting native plants (seasonal) - experience the joy of planting a native back in its former habitat. Staff or Restoration Leaders will provide instruction, tools, gloves, and plants to help re-vegetate campus natural areas where invasive weeds have been removed. These events are usually held starting around Thanksgiving (based on rainfall) and continue through the end of March.

To protect and preserve our environment, anyone can:

1. Pick up trash and recyclables and dispose of these items in the appropriate campus receptacles.  Please use good judgment and only handle materials that you are familiar with, i.e. don’t pick up sharp items, human body wastes or fluids, or hazardous chemicals unless you have the appropriate implements and protective gear.
2. Remove weeds from campus grounds if you are confident in the species ID (if in doubt, DON’T pull it out!).
3. Report conditions on the campus that you feel are harmful to the environment (creek, air, soil, etc.). Use the form to the right, or call EH&S at (510) 642-3073.

Resources

• Creeks at UC Berkeley
• Friends of Five Creeks
• Friends of Sausal Creeks
• The Presido

Environmental permits may be needed for your construction, renovation, demolition, or decommissioning project if it will have land, air, water, or human impacts. Some activities will require:

• filing a permit
• paying fees to a regulatory agency
• self-monitoring
• standard or best practices

Please select a topic below that’s relative to your work for proper guidance and contact the EH&S Construction Specialist on campus for further information at ehs-ep@berkeley.edu.

General Planning Requirements for any project

• Historical Site Assessments and Hazardous Materials Surveys
• Plan Review Process
• Legal Notices-Advisory Information
• Water Discharges
• Geotechnical Drilling and Wells

New Construction

• Office Buildings
• Laboratories
• Engineering or Shop Spaces
• Classrooms and Lecture Halls
• Residential Buildings
• Day Care or Medical Buildings
• Food Preparation or Service Facilities
• Commercial Buildings
• Sites Above an Acre in Size
• Sites Less Than an Acre, but Greater Than - 2,500 Sq Ft. in Area
• Soil Sampling & Offhaul
• Fuel Storage
• Building Equipment

Renovations, Modifications, and Building Alterations

• Offices
• Laboratories
• Engineering or Shop spaces
• Classrooms and Lecture Halls
• Commercial Buildings
• Building Exteriors
• Creek modifications or stormwater improvements
• Equipment Upgrades

Demolition, Decommissioning or Relocation of space

• Offices
• Laboratories
• Engineering or Shop spaces
• Classrooms and Lecture Halls
• Commercial Buildings
• Chemical Relocation
• Equipment Disposal
• Waste and Recycling