Town of Milton

TOWN SETS NEW LAW TO CONTROL POLLUTANTS:

If town residents dump their grass clippings and leaves in the road by the curb, they'll be breaking the law.

The Town Board Wednesday night adopted a new local law that's aimed at keeping fertilizer, pesticides and other pollutants out of the town's creeks and streams. An inch or two of rain can wash those grass clippings and other yard debris into the stormwater system, said Jeff Manning, program coordinator. The federal and state governments are mandating the stormwater protections, which the board chose to adopt on a town-wide basis.

Illicit discharges under the law include 'trash, yard waste, lawn chemicals, pet waste, wastewater, grease, oil petroleum products, cleaning products, paint products, hazardous waste, sediment and other pollutants.' The law gives the town the authority to 'carry out all inspections, surveillance and monitoring procedures to ensure compliance.'