Green Zone

'One Stop Drop' May 18

Porter County, Indiana – The Recycling and Waste Reduction District of Porter County will help Porter County residents with their spring cleaning by providing a One Stop Drop collection event that will accept old and unwanted appliances, electronics, tires and household hazardous waste.

The event is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 18, at the Porter County Expo Center/Fair Grounds, 215 E. Division Road, Valparaiso.
Restrictions or fees may apply. For more information, call the Recycling and Waste Reduction District of Porter County, 465-3694, or visit www.ItMeansTheWorld.org to learn more.

The Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission will be at the event to present new environmentally friendly 2.5-gallon gas cans to residents who bring their old gas cans in for disposal at the collection. Limit one new gas can per vehicle/family, while supplies last.

The One Stop Drop is an opportunity for residents to properly discard materials that are harmful to the environment. Appliances accepted include refrigerators, stoves, dish and clothes washers, dryers, water heaters, air conditioners, freezers, humidifiers and dehumidifiers, furnaces, and just about anything metal. Water softener holding tanks will not be accepted.

Not only do old appliances contain hazardous components, including used oil, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and mercury, they are much less energy-efficient. Additionally, the refrigerant used in refrigerators, freezers, dehumidifiers, water coolers and air conditioners is extremely harmful to the environment and must be extracted safely.

Many companies certified to remove refrigerants from appliances often charge for the removal of this toxic substance, leaving residents to dispose of the remaining appliances. Once old appliances are brought to the One Stop Drop, the refrigerant is extracted and properly discarded. The appliances will ultimately be taken apart and recycled.

According to Indiana law, households can no longer mix unwanted computer monitors, computers, televisions, printers, computer peripherals (such as keyboards and mice), DVD players, video cassette recorders, or fax machines with trash that is intended for disposal at a landfill or intended for disposal by burning or incineration.

Electronics can contain lead and other toxic materials that pose serious threats to human health. Porter County residents can bring their old electronic devices to the May 18 event for safe disposal. Accepted items include anything with electrical cords or run by batteries.

Porter County residents also can drop off electronics at the Valparaiso and Boone Grove compost sites any time during their hours of operation. Additionally, Porter County residents can drop off their electronics at the following locations: Portage Street Department: 2302 Hamstrom Road, 762-4564; Valparaiso Public Works: 406 Don Hovey Drive, 462-4612; Porter Street Department: 550 Beam Street, 926-2771. Residents should call the departments to determine hours of operation. Visit www.ItMeansTheWorld.org for more information, or call 465-3694.

Leftover household products that contain corrosive, toxic, ignitable or reactive ingredients are considered to be “household hazardous waste” or “HHW,” and require special care when they are discarded.

Improper disposal of household hazardous wastes can include pouring them down the drain, on the ground, into storm sewers, or in some cases putting them out with the trash, which can pollute the environment and pose a threat to human health.

HHW items accepted at One Stop Drop include aerosols; anti-freeze; oil; batteries (household and automotive); corrosives; mercury containing products (fluorescent tubes, CFLs, thermometers, thermostats, etc.); oil-based paint, thinners and solvents; pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, insecticides and other poisons; diesel fuel, gasoline, kerosene, other flammable liquids; ammunition and expired medications.

Explosives, commercial hazardous waste and radioactive materials (like smoke detectors) will not be accepted. Old smoke detectors should be sent back to the manufacturers for recycling. Though latex paint is not considered household hazardous waste, it will be accepted at the collection thanks to the district’s intergovernmental agreement with the City of Hobart for paint recycling.

Approximately 300 million used automobile and truck tires are discarded by Americans annually. At landfills, tires take up large amounts of space and have been known to damage landfill linings. Around town, discarded tires become prime breeding grounds for mosquitoes and rodents that carry diseases such as West Nile virus and encephalitis.

Tire storage piles pose fire hazards that are extremely difficult to extinguish. Burning tires release toxic gases into the air and leave behind a hazardous oily residue that pollutes streams and ground water. Once recycled, the rubber in tires can be used for paving material, fuel, mulch, floor mats, drain pipes, and more!

Porter County residents can dispose of their first four tires up to 20 inches for free at the One Stop Drop. The disposal fee for each additional tire up to 20 inches is $3. Residents can dispose of tires from 20 to 25 inches for $5 each, and tires over 25 inches for $15 each.

The Recycling and Waste Reduction District of Porter County is a government agency dedicated to improving the environment and quality of life for Porter County residents by providing convenient, voluntary waste reduction services. Visit www.ItMeansTheWorld.org for more information or call 465-3694.

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Hoosier River Watch Workshop May 25

From Lake County Parks:

A Hoosier River Watch Workshop at Gibson Woods will be held on Saturday, May 25 from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. for ages 18+. Register early for this free workshop as space is limited to 12 participants. Deadline is May 22. Call 219-844-3188.

Volunteers are needed to monitor streams and rivers in Indiana for water quality. Participants will learn how to conduct chemical tests, calculate water flow, identify invertebrates, record data and enter the findings on to the data base. Information from the data base is used to monitor trends in the water quality of Indiana’s waterways. The Hoosier River Watch workshop will provide you with the resources and skills needed to become a part of this important project. Dress for the weather including waders or shoes that can get wet and bring a sack lunch with a drink.

Gibson Woods Nature Preserve is located at 6201 Parrish Avenue in Hammond, IN 46323. From I/80-94 take Cline Avenue north to the169th exit then west to Parrish and north to the park. GPS coordinates: 41.599352,-87.45186

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Sorrowful Mother Church Annual Plant Sale

Sorrowful Mother Church's Annual Plant Sale
165 Grace St., Wheatfield IN

ONE DAY SALE !
Saturday May 18th
9AM to 2PM

Many varieties of plants and flowers to help you get your garden started. Proceeds from the sale going to the Helping Hands Ministry of Sorrowful Mother Church.

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NIRPC Announces 2013 Gas Can/Household Collection Events

The Lake Michigan Districts 2013 Household Waste Collection schedule is out. There are several household hazardous waste events scheduled through October 26 in Lake, Porter and LaPorte Counties, and many of them offer the NIRPC Gas Can Exchange. Here's a link to this year's schedule:

http://www.nirpc.org/media/21703/gas_can_2013__read_only_.pdf

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Valpo, Boone Grove Compost Sites Open April 1

Porter County – The Valparaiso compost site, 2150 W. Lincolnway, and the Boone Grove site, 400 West 550 South, will open for the season April 1, to give Porter County residents the opportunity to drop off yard waste from their spring cleanups.

Regular hours for the Valparaiso compost site will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays. Currently, the Valparaiso compost site is open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. through March 30. Regular hours for the Boone Grove site will be from noon to 5 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays. Currently the site is closed.

Materials accepted at either site include organic yard waste, leaves, garden clippings, household plants, brush, limbs, logs and firewood. Treated wood or lumber is not accepted at either site. Grass is not accepted at the Valparaiso site. Compost and mulch will be available at both locations for residents to take, while supplies last.

Other materials accepted at the compost sites for proper disposal include old or unusable electronics (anything with an electrical cord or powered by batteries); cell phones; compact and tube fluorescent light bulbs; household batteries; toner cartridges; and old media, such as cassette and VCR tapes, CDs, etc.

These large scale municipal composting operations allow the Recycling and Waste Reduction District of Porter County and select municipalities to manage organic material, composting yard waste and grinding organic wood waste to create large amounts of finished compost and mulch. The resulting compost and mulch are also available for public use.

The Recycling and Waste Reduction District of Porter County is an agency dedicated to improving the environment and quality of life for Porter County residents by providing convenient, voluntary waste reduction services.

For more information about public compost sites in Porter County, visit the District’s website, www.ItMeansTheWorld.org, or call 465-3694.

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News from Lake County Master Gardeners

Banquet12Fall WinCE

Peter Kesheimer congratulates Ron Jones. [Photo provided]

On April 10, 2013, the Purdue Master Gardener Program in Lake County with the master gardeners association will celebrate countless hours volunteers spend helping others grow with gardening and landscaping at the annual spring banquet at Sts. Peter and Paul Macedonian Orthodox Church, 9660 Broadway in Crown Point, IN. With a social for guests at 6:30 pm and dinner at 7 pm, the banquet provides an opportunity for Lake County Master Gardeners to exchange ideas, continuing to learn. LCMG have an chance to purchase tickets for themselves and guests for $20 each, making sure Purdue Extension secretary, Diana Cook, 219-755-3240, receives the total amount prior to April 1st as the event manager, Jasmina Bishop, needs to know the exact number attending to provide a palatable feast. Peter Kesheimer, Scholarship Committee Chairperson, will announce the six recipients receiving donations at the banquet for the 2013-2014 school year at Indiana universities. Nikky Witkowski, Lake County Purdue Extension Educator/Coordinator of the MG program will speak on food safety in community gardens. Certified Master Gardener Awards go to Denise Harris and Dawn Vanzo. Jim Colias, Pat Dunham, Elaine Hough, and Ron Jones receive the Advanced Master Gardener awards. Bronze Badge recipients include: David Gottneid, Marlene Gransinger, Ray Norder, Joanne Stratton, and Fangling Yu. Sheila O'Toole earned the Silver Badge while Joanne Gruber attains the Gold Badge. Hostess Committee Chairperson Gloria Smederovac will meet with committee members to create favors for the banquet.

In addition, Kathy Kick, Chairperson for the Plant Sale and Garden Walk, meets regularly with committee members to plan both events. The 4th Annual Plant Sale occurs on May 18 from 9 am to 4 pm with a rain date of May 19 at Tri Town Safety Village, 1350 Eagle Ridge Drive, Schererville. Perrenials, native shrubs, trees, herbs, and vegetables may be purchased from the pre-sale form at www.lakecountymastergardeners.com with the deadline date of May 6, 2013. If you wish to share your garden with visitors on June 22, 2013, from 10 am to 4 pm in Dyer, Schererville, and St. John for the annual garden walk, "Summer Time in the Garden", Lake County Master Gardeners need additional gardens from town residents. Please contact Kathy Kick,

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or Diana Cook, 219-755-3240.

Scholarship Recipients:

Patrick Brown - Gary - Purdue
Nelly Chavez-Hernandez - East Chicago - Ball State
Dustin Denisiuk - Gary - Purdue
Anthony Escobedo - Crown Point - Purdue
Brandon Miksich - Schererville - Purdue
Daniel Misch - Crown Point - Purdue

Sources for 2013-2014 Scholarships

Illiana Garden & Pond Society - $8,000
Lake County Master Gardener Association, Inc. - $2,212
Anonymous - $1,250
Hobart Garden Club - $300

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Valpo Compost Site Off-Season Hours

News Release/Recycling and Waste Reduction District of Porter County – The Valparaiso compost site, 2150 W. Lincolnway, will begin Saturday off-season hours Jan. 5, for Porter County residents to dispose of their once live Christmas trees, wreaths and other organic holiday decorations. The 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday hours will continue through April when the site will open for the season.

Ornaments and lights should be removed before disposal. Other organic materials accepted at this site include yard waste, leaves, garden clippings, household plants, brush, limbs, logs and firewood. No grass or treated wood or lumber will be accepted.

Residents who received new electronics for Christmas can also recycle their unwanted electronics and electrical items at the compost site. Accepted items include: computers, monitors, televisions, typewriters, copiers, PDAs, VCRs, fax machines, microwaves, scanners, gaming machines, and anything with an electrical cord or run by batteries. Christmas light strands are also accepted.

Besides electronics and organic materials, residents can recycle other items at the compost sites, including household batteries, fluorescent light bulbs (tubes and CFLs), toner cartridges, media (CDs, video cassettes, etc.) and cell phones.

The site is owned and operated by the City of Valparaiso with assistance from the Recycling and Waste Reduction District of Porter County.

The Boone Grove compost site, 546 S. 400 W, will remain closed through April and is owned and operated by the District.

For more information on the public compost sites, visit the District’s website, www.itmeanstheworld.org, or call 219-465-3694

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