Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Contact: Dan McLean, 651-297-1607 St. Paul, Minn. - This fall, keep your clean-up clean. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency reminds you that following these five steps as you prepare for winter will keep Minnesota's out-of-doors as tidy and beautiful as your home and yard. · Keep lawn waste out of the gutter
This fall, pick up your lawn clippings and leaves and compost them. Yard waste that end up in your street's gutter can wash into storm sewer drains, polluting nearby lakes and rivers. Remember, clean gutters mean clean lakes. · Safely dispose of motor oil, anti-freeze and other chemicals
If you're going to do some routine vehicle maintenance before the snow flies, remember to keep oil, antifreeze and other chemicals out of gutters, too. Check with your local household hazardous waste center to find out where you can dispose of these items. · Keep household chemicals from freezing
As part of your fall cleanup, don't forget that some household chemicals will freeze in an unheated garage. If the product label reads "soap and water cleanup" or "keep from freezing," it's probably a water-based product and could be damaged if frozen. Common water-based products include latex driveway sealer, latex paint, paint-related items such as caulks and adhesives, pesticides and herbicides. If you have excess product, consider giving some to your neighbor-otherwise, safely dispose of chemicals at your county's hazardous waste site. · If you heat your home with oil, check your tank for leaks
Keep your fill pipe visible and accessible for the delivery driver. And if you take your tank out of service, remove the tank, lines and fill pipe completely. Many fuel oil delivery companies have accidentally delivered heating oil to homeowners' fill pipes that had no tanks attached to the other end, resulting in spills and damage that cost thousands of dollars to repair. After the snow flies, be sure to keep vent lines free from snow and ice to prevent pressure from building up in tanks and piping. · Safely dispose of computers, televisions and other electronic waste
By state law, Minnesota residents may not put televisions and computer monitors in the trash. Televisions and computer monitors are hazardous because they contain up to eight pounds of lead and can cause an environmental problem if discarded with regular garbage. Minnesota residents can take advantage of the expanding number of recycling options for old electronic equipment, including community collection events, and retailer or manufacturer take-back programs. http://www.moea.state.mn.us/plugin/recyclers-household.cfm.