Just take a look at all that crap. See all that grey stuff built up around the base of the grate? That's not dirt or leaves or anything organic. All that greyness is plastic garbage built up around the storm drain and stained by the runoff from nearby parking lots. Where does that garbage come from? Everywhere. Any time anyone drops litter on the ground, there's a good chance it'll get carried by rainwater into your local water system. In our case, all this plastic crap gets carried out into lake Ontario. This is bad news for our beaches and aquatic wildlife. I remember a time when we could actually swim in our lake. Now many won'
t chance it. My friend Monty wanted me to mention another concern, tied loosely to this one. I need to explain this picture a bit: See that glass tube? Okay, not so much, right? It's near the base of the grate. Well, last week there was another piece of it sitting on top of that storm drain. I got a picture, but my camera erased it (always the camera's fault). Anyhoo, that other piece (not pictured) looked a heck of a lot like part of a halogen or CFL lightbulb.
Enter my friend Monty's concern: Mercury content in compact fluorescent lightbulbs. He wanted me to share with you these safety tips on cleaning up if you should ever be so unfortunate as to break a CFL bulb. Be careful, friends. Safety first!
Before cleanup: Vent the room
1. Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.
2. Shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system, if you have one.
Cleanup steps for hard surfaces
3. Carefully scoop up glass fragments and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
4. Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
5. Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes and place them in the glass jar or plastic bag.
6. Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces.
Cleanup steps for carpeting or rug
3. Carefully pick up glass fragments and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
4. Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
5. If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed, vacuum the area where the bulb was broken.
6. Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister), and put the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed plastic bag.
Disposal of cleanup materials
7. Immediately place all cleanup materials outside the building in a trash container or outdoor protected area for the next normal trash.
8. Wash your hands after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing cleanup materials.
9. Check with your local or state government about disposal requirements in your specific area. Some states prohibit such trash disposal and require that broken and unbroken lamps be taken to a recycling center.
Future cleaning of carpeting or rug
10. For at least the next few times you vacuum, shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system and open a window prior to vacuuming.
11. Keep the central heating/air conditioning system shut off and the window open for at least 15 minutes after vacuuming is completed.
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection
