What should you do with old meds and CFLs?

Did you ever wonder what to do with those old, half-used bottles of medicine? What about burned out fluorescent bulbs or energy-efficient Compact Fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs)?

Today I cleaned out my medicine cabinet, and it got me to wondering. Should I throw those expired Claritan Tablets in the garbage? What about the Omnicef my doctor prescribed several years ago that didn't agree with me?

You may be aware of some of the recent controversy about finding residual medications in our water supply. Although much of that may be the result of body fluids, why add to the problem by flushing old medicine down the John?

I'm also hearing controversies about kids having parties where they pour medicines into a bowl, mix them up and then dare each other to take them. This further fuels my interest in getting old medications out of my house. So what should I do with them?

A call to my local Walgreens (which does not take old medicines back) reminded me that the Recycling & Waste Reduction District of Porter County hosts Household Hazardous Waste events each year. There are several events coming up that you might want to place on your calendar:

http://www.itmeanstheworld.org/recycling_events.html

Medications will only be accepted in their original container. They are then delivered to a special incineration site for disposal.

I've had several residents ask me recently about what to do with CFLs. Unfortunately, these items, as well as fluorescent tubes, carry a small amount of mercury. They can be delivered to the HHW collection site as well, but should be sealed in a plastic bag.

There are other items as well that are collected at these sites. Here is a helpful list that will allow you to get those nasty items out of your home, and, more importantly, removed from landfills:
http://www.itmeanstheworld.org/household_hazardous_waste_collections.html

Oh, and don't forget to recycle your old household batteries at the drive up box at the Town Hall. To date we have prevented more than 2,000 lbs. of batteries from entering area landfills! This effort contributes to the success of Ogden Dunes' participation in the Clean Community Challenge sponsored by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.

Beach Season Starts Today

Believe it or not, despite the chilly temps, beach season officially starts today in Ogden Dunes. Why? Starting May 21 through September 5 lake waters are evaluated daily to determine whether or not it is safe for swimming.

Water quality monitoring in Ogden Dunes is made possible with a $14,000 grant from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. The monies from the grant are used to hire a Grant Administrator, a Sampling Technician, and to contract with a laboratory for testing.

For the second year in a row, Polly Costanza has been hired as our official Sampling Technician. You may see her bravely wading into the lake at 7:00 a.m., Monday through Friday, to grab water samples at three locations along the beach. She then transports the samples to a pre-arranged location in Marquette Park in Gary.

From there, our contracted Laboratory, United Water, picks up the samples for immediate analysis. United Water tests the samples for both turbidity and E. coli. High turbidity is a strong indicator that pathogens are present. Turbidity readings and other factors, such as previous rainfall and wind direction, are then fed into a predictive model, called "Project Safe," that helps determine whether or not an advisory or closure should be posted for that day. This is because results from the E. coli tests are not available until the next day.

Results from these tests are e-mailed to Karen Berrier, Grant Administrator, who is responsible for determining if a beach is open for swimming, if an advisory should be posted, or if a closure is necessary. Information is then posted on http://www.ogdendunes.net/beachconditions.html. If the public needs to be informed that an Advisory or Closure are necessary, Karen is also responsible for posting the appropriate signage along the accessways and near the Town Hall.

Yellow signs will indicate that an Advisory is posted. In this case, an increased risk of illness may be present based on recent monitoring for E. coli bacteria.

For your safety during an Advisory:
• Swim at your own risk.
• Do not ingest lake water.
• Shower after swimming.
• Wash hands before eating.
• Do not swim if you are ill.

Red Signs will tell the public that the beach is closed to swimming, and that a serious risk of illness may be present.

Look for more information on this topic as the summer progresses.