New environment chief focuses on green lifestyle
By Lynn Zerschling, Journal staff writer | Posted: Monday, May 05, 2008
SIOUX CITY -- In moving to Sioux City from Muscatine, Iowa, earlier this year, Ellen Myers traded the Mississippi River for the Missouri. Both rivers play an important role in the lives of the communities along their banks.
In her new job as Sioux City's environmental services manager, Myers plans to do more to help preserve the Missouri, as well as the water flowing into surrounding lakes and streams.
"What you do in your backyard impacts streams, lakes and rivers," Myers, who began her new duties Jan. 14, said.
Do you pick up litter in your yard and along your street? What kind of fertilizer do you use to green your yard? Do you wash your cars in your driveway? Do you let rainwater run off your property?
"You don't want to overapply fertilizers. The best rule of thumb is to pay attention to the ingredients in what you buy," she suggested. "Buy a product that does the job but is not toxic to wildlife."
Some other tips to green the blue rivers? Don't dispose of motor oil down storm drains. Pick up pet waste, which is a source of bacteria in waterways. Wash your vehicles at car washes and not in your driveways, where the soap washes into the drains.
"Capture rain off your roof and eaves and funnel it into rain gardens," Myers proposed. "A lot of these old technologies are being looked at again. They had the right idea."
While recycling the rain water might save a little on a homeowners' utility bill, there is a greater benefit to trying to keep rivers, lakes and streams free of pollutants.
Myers said she sees herself as a teacher -- educating the public on how to clean up the environment and to urge the value of recycling a variety of products.
Her passion for cleaning up the environment began in high school in Waterloo, Iowa, when her biology teacher predicted environmental disasters unless people took more care with the products they used and then discarded.
"All she said was coming true. I had been interested in going into the medical field. My first job sort of put me where I am today," Myers explained. "I worked in an environmental laboratory in Cedar Falls."
After attending college, she dropped out to raise her son and daughter. After they were older, she returned to college, attending the University of Northern Iowa, where she majored in biotechnology and chemistry. She obtained her degree at age 39. Her children, now in their 20s, live in Waterloo.
For the past 10 years, Myers worked for the city of Muscatine and was working as the environmental coordinator when she spotted the job opening in Sioux City.
"Sioux City is a bigger community. They have more regulatory requirements. This allows me to implement some of the requirements I was working on in Muscatine. Sioux City is a Phase II stormwater community, which means it has to follow more state regulations."
In addition to those duties, she has oversight of wastewater pretreatment programs for the Wastewater Treatment Plant, at 3100 S.Lewis Blvd., which is undergoing a multimillion-dollar renovation.
Myers credited her predecessor, Aaron Kraft, for emphasizing the importance of recycling before he resigned to take a job in private industry. First up? Recycling the recycling fliers.
Lynn Zerschling may be reached at (712) 293,4202 or at lynn.zerschling@lee.net
River relief
For the first time, volunteers with the Missouri River Relief organization will help clean up the river in the Sioux City-South Sioux City area. Volunteers will receive directions and safety instruction before being ferried by boats to spots along the banks to pick up trash.
What: Missouri River cleanup
When: June 7
Get involved: Anyone interested in participating is invited to attend a planning meeting at 3 p.m. Tuesday at the Betty Strong Encounter Center at the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center. An adult must accompany every five children
More info: Call Vicki Richmond, the Kansas City, Mo., coordinator, at 816-812-5166 or visit www.riverrelief.org
In her new job as Sioux City's environmental services manager, Myers plans to do more to help preserve the Missouri, as well as the water flowing into surrounding lakes and streams.
"What you do in your backyard impacts streams, lakes and rivers," Myers, who began her new duties Jan. 14, said.
Do you pick up litter in your yard and along your street? What kind of fertilizer do you use to green your yard? Do you wash your cars in your driveway? Do you let rainwater run off your property?
"You don't want to overapply fertilizers. The best rule of thumb is to pay attention to the ingredients in what you buy," she suggested. "Buy a product that does the job but is not toxic to wildlife."
Some other tips to green the blue rivers? Don't dispose of motor oil down storm drains. Pick up pet waste, which is a source of bacteria in waterways. Wash your vehicles at car washes and not in your driveways, where the soap washes into the drains.
"Capture rain off your roof and eaves and funnel it into rain gardens," Myers proposed. "A lot of these old technologies are being looked at again. They had the right idea."
While recycling the rain water might save a little on a homeowners' utility bill, there is a greater benefit to trying to keep rivers, lakes and streams free of pollutants.
Myers said she sees herself as a teacher -- educating the public on how to clean up the environment and to urge the value of recycling a variety of products.
Her passion for cleaning up the environment began in high school in Waterloo, Iowa, when her biology teacher predicted environmental disasters unless people took more care with the products they used and then discarded.
"All she said was coming true. I had been interested in going into the medical field. My first job sort of put me where I am today," Myers explained. "I worked in an environmental laboratory in Cedar Falls."
After attending college, she dropped out to raise her son and daughter. After they were older, she returned to college, attending the University of Northern Iowa, where she majored in biotechnology and chemistry. She obtained her degree at age 39. Her children, now in their 20s, live in Waterloo.
For the past 10 years, Myers worked for the city of Muscatine and was working as the environmental coordinator when she spotted the job opening in Sioux City.
"Sioux City is a bigger community. They have more regulatory requirements. This allows me to implement some of the requirements I was working on in Muscatine. Sioux City is a Phase II stormwater community, which means it has to follow more state regulations."
In addition to those duties, she has oversight of wastewater pretreatment programs for the Wastewater Treatment Plant, at 3100 S.Lewis Blvd., which is undergoing a multimillion-dollar renovation.
Myers credited her predecessor, Aaron Kraft, for emphasizing the importance of recycling before he resigned to take a job in private industry. First up? Recycling the recycling fliers.
Lynn Zerschling may be reached at (712) 293,4202 or at lynn.zerschling@lee.net
River relief
For the first time, volunteers with the Missouri River Relief organization will help clean up the river in the Sioux City-South Sioux City area. Volunteers will receive directions and safety instruction before being ferried by boats to spots along the banks to pick up trash.
What: Missouri River cleanup
When: June 7
Get involved: Anyone interested in participating is invited to attend a planning meeting at 3 p.m. Tuesday at the Betty Strong Encounter Center at the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center. An adult must accompany every five children
More info: Call Vicki Richmond, the Kansas City, Mo., coordinator, at 816-812-5166 or visit www.riverrelief.org
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wrote on May 5, 2008 7:46 AM: