It’s almost time for spring cleaning, and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources is looking to keep that clean-up safe. Nine Iowa counties will hostToxic Cleanup Days in April and May. Theresa Stiner (STY-ner) from the D-N-R’s waste management division says common household items can be asdangerous as industrial waste. If chemical containers are empty and clean, Stiner says they are safe for the landfill. The toxic clean-up is for unused, banned, or old products that are not needed. Landfills and storm sewers are not safe for unused toxic products, as they will pollute the ground water. Oil and paint are often dumped into storm sewers that lead to water. The water is easily polluted by the waste. Last year Iowa facilities collected over one million pounds of hazardous waste. For more information contact your local waste collection agency.
