Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 17, 1991 TAG: 9103140184
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Diane MaeEachern
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
According to the society, properly housing a pet turtle costs at least $100. And many turtles can easily outlive both the child's interest in the pet and even the parents' lifetime.
"Few parents are willing to take care of turtles for the rest of their lives," said a recent Society report.
Many parents solve this problem by releasing an unwanted turtle in a nearby pond. The turtle will usually die because the pond is the wrong environment. If the turtle survives and is not a native species, it could become a pest. A released captive turtle might also spread disease to the native turtle population, as happened to the endangered Desert Tortoise out west.
Pet turtles also pose a serious health risk to kids. In 1973, it became illegal to sell any turtle under 4 inches because children were contracting salmonella poisoning from these small reptiles. According to the society, an extensive black market in these baby turtles still exists. Sellers may not warn customers that turtles can transmit salmonella bacteria if not cared for properly.
For more information, contact the New York Turtle and Tortoise Society, 163 Amsterdam Ave., Suite 365, New York, N.Y. 10023.
Meanwhile, if your children have a turtle, make sure they touch it as little as possible, and have them wash their hands thoroughly after doing so.
\ Out of the ashes
\ Do you burn wood in a stove or fireplace? If so, don't toss out the ashes.
Wood ashes can be recycled into your vegetable or flower beds in the spring, according to Organic Gardening magazine. Wood ash, or potash, helps plants to fruit and flower. Follow these simple guidelines:
You can use ashes from just about any tree, but don't use ashes from the combustion of chemically treated lumber, painted wood or any wood that contained nails or other metals. And do not use ashes from coal: They may contain harmful sulfur compounds that do not benefit the soil.
Keep the ashes dry in a bucket or box in your shed or garage.
Before applying the ashes in the spring, have your soil tested. You may also need to improve the soil with nitrogen, phosphorous or other soil nutrients.
Use the ashes to side-dress growing plants, but don't let the ashes come in contact with newly germinating seed or plant roots. They could injure the plant.
Ashes are alkaline, so do not use them around acid-loving plants such as blueberries, hydrangeas or azaleas.
\ Guarding the groundwater
\ Q. How can I protect myself and my community from underground storage tanks that leak?
A. According to the Environmental Defense Fund, more than half the U.S. population relies on groundwater supplies for drinking, cooking and cleaning. Unfortunately, says EDF, these supplies and the people who depend on them are often threatened by toxic contamination from the millions of underground storage tanks in use at gas stations, dry cleaners and other sites.
Indeed, in 1988, the Environmental Protection Agency estimated that 15 percent to 25 percent of these tanks are leaking.
Over 95 percent of the more than 2 million underground storage tanks regulated by EPA are used to store petroleum, including highly toxic gasoline. Recent studies have concluded that gasoline is a likely human carcinogen. Exposure to gasoline's toxic components, such as benzene, toluene and xylene, can cause kidney and nervous-system damage, and reproductive and developmental problems.
In its new 55-page booklet, "Citizen Action: An Ounce of Prevention," EDF provides a six-point plan to help individuals protect themselves and their communities from leaking tanks. EDF advises people to make their concerns known when states or the federal government are preparing regulations to control underground storage tanks. Also, identify and report tanks that may be leaking, taking legal action if necessary.
The booklet is available for $2.50 from EDF's Washington office, 1616 P St. N.W., Suite 150, Washington, D.C. 20036.
Send questions about the environment to Tips for Planet Earth, Washington Post Writers Group, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071-9200. Questions of general interest will be answered in the column; individual answers cannot be provided.
Washington Post Writers Group
by CNB