JBLM News
Dumpsters Neat, not Nasty By Cathy Hamilton-Wissmer, Directorate of Public Works
On Joint Base Lewis-McChord the fall weather is setting in, that means more rain in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Every time it rains, water runs off the land as stormwater. As it flows over rooftops, lawns, driveways and streets, stormwater picks up pollutants, and debris such as dirt, motor oil, fertilizer, litter and pet waste. All of these pollutants are carried by stormwater into storm drains and drainage ditches, which flows untreated into our rivers, lakes, streams, and ultimately the Puget Sound.
BIN THERE, DO THAT
Be the Solution! What can you do? 1. Close your dumpster lid, keep trash picked up, and replace drippy containers. When rain lands on top of garbage it creates pollution from contamination. 2. Never dump anything onto the street, down a storm drain, or into a drainage ditch. 3. Check your vehicles for leaks, use the MWR Auto craft shops to repair them as soon as possible. 4. Always recycle your motor oil, other vehicle fluids, and household hazardous waste (HHW). Contact JBLM Environmental, 253-966-3170 for questions. 5. Pick up after your pet. Bag it and throw it into the trash. 6. Spill response! If you use or suspect anything other than clean rainwater is flowing to the drain, call 911 JBLM to report.
How often do you ask yourself what's safe to put in your in recycling bin? Next time you go to throw something away, get creative and think of ways to reduce waste in the first place! Only paper, cardboard, plastic bottles, jugs & jars, aluminum & tin cans can go into your recycling bin.
Stormwater pollution is the biggest threat to our waterways. It harms our ability to use our rivers and lakes for swimming and fishing, makes treating our drinking water more difficult and negatively impacts the environment and can harm wildlife. Follow SustainableJBLM on Facebook for the latest tips and tricks!
Lincoln Military Housing
Resource Guide 8
