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Politics & Government

Think Green By Keeping Lake Blue

Macomb County government offers services to help residents from polluting local drinking water and Lake St. Clair.

In honor of Earth Day on Friday, April 22, Macomb County offers services to help residents think green by keeping Lake St. Clair and local drinking water supplies free of contaminants. 

Kathy Vosburg of Chesterfield Township, chairperson of the Macomb County Board of Commissioners, said residents can visit www.greenmacomb.com for eco-friendly ideas on helping the environment. The website offers useful links and tips for the public, such as ways to protect the purity of drinking water.

Even changing a simple habit like how one disposes medications can have a big impact. Improper disposal of medication, including flushing pills down the toilet, can taint ground water.

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“The Macomb County Health Department offers medication disposal services,” said Vosburg. “When people properly dispose of their unwanted medications, it helps keep contaminants out of Lake St. Clair.”

Macomb County residents can drop off unwanted or outdated medications from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays at the Health Department, 43525 Elizabeth Road, in Mount Clemens. Controlled substances and syringes are not accepted. Patient information must be removed from containers. Medications should not be in pill bottles and transferred into clear plastic zipper bags before delivery.

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Vosburg also heads a yearly water project on her own.

On May 14, she’ll be seeking volunteers to mark storm drains throughout Chesterfield Township. The storm drains are labeled so people are aware they are there and will refrain from littering or illegally dumping materials. More details on the event will be released in the near future.

“People should not be illegally dumping materials to begin with, but they especially should not be dumping materials near or in drains,” she said. “Just like the improperly disposed medication, contaminants could wind up in our drinking water or local waterways and that’s terrible for the county and its residents.”

The Macomb County Department of Public Works also strives to protect the county’s water. Here are some of the department's tips:

  • Fertilize sparingly and cautiously because excess may wind up in water,.
  • Carefully store and properly dispose of household cleaners, chemicals and oils.
  • Clean up after your pet to prevent waste from water runoff into lakes and streams.
  • Practice good car care on your property in order to keep pollutants from entering drains.

To reduce pollution in local water, the department advises the public to:

  • Sweep it: Sweep extra fertilizer, grass clippings or dirt from your driveway back onto your lawn. Hosing your driveway sends pollutants into storm drains that lead to our lakes and streams. 
  • Keep it clean. Whether in the street or in your yard, remember to keep leaves, grass clippings, trash and fertilizers out of storm drains.
  • Only rain in the drain. Never dump motor oil, chemicals, pet waste, dirty or soapy water, or anything else down the storm drain. All of these materials pollute our lakes and streams.
  • Label it. Volunteer to label storm drains in your neighborhood to inform residents that storm drains flow directly to our lakes and streams. Encourage citizens to contact their local community for more information on storm drain stenciling programs.

Macomb County Department of Public Works Anthony Marrocco also has a hotline for people to report polluters. The 24-hour hotline is 877-679-4337.

Vosburg said every little bit people do helps the environment.

Chesterfield Township resident Silvana Suvaria agrees.

"I recycle, try not to waste water and turn off lights to save energy," Suvaria said.

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