Home Depot Settles with EPA

The Home Depot reached a settlement deal with the EPA recently regarding violations of the Clean Water Act, specifically stormwater run off construction practices at more than 30 construction sites in 28 states. In no particular order here is a list of the locations:

1. Bullhead City, Arizona
2. Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
3. Palm Coast, Florida
4. Suwannee, Georgia
5. Mishawaka, Indiana
6. Garden City, Kansas
7. Somerset, Massachusetts
8. Ellsworth, Maine
9. Auburn Hills, Michigan
10. Willmar, Minnesota
11. Blue Springs, Missouri
12. Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina
13. Omaha, Nebraska
14. Rochester, New Hampshire
15. Tilton, New Hampshire
16. Seabrook, New Hampshire
17. Londonderry, New Hampshire
18. Alamogordo, New Mexico
19. Lawton, Oklahoma
20. Beaverton, Oregon
21. Provo, Utah
22. Crawfordsville, Indiana
23. Juneau, Alaska
24. Porterville, California
25. Evergreen, Colorado
26. Aurora (Saddlerock), Colorado
27. Aurora (Pioneer Hills), Colorado
28. Plymouth, Michigan
29. Hattiesburg, Mississippi
30. College Station, Texas
31. Lewisville, Texas
32. Wylie, Texas
33. Austin, Texas
34. American Fork, Utah

They settled for $ 1.3 Million dollars. The press release is HERE(1) . The info sheet is HERE(2). The Consent Decree in pdf is HERE(3).

I'd imagine that with pockets as deep as Home Depot this wont affect their bottom line too much. But that these issues even came up is silly. Just some basic construction and engineering practices would have prevented this. I guess thats what you get when you hire the low bid.

They call me "Mice Slayer"

It all started when the little bastards stared gnawing on one of wifes rubbery slotted spoons.

"THEY WANT WAR! THEY'LL GET WAR"

So of course I went to Home Depot for battle supplies. Two old school style mouse traps, and two of the stickypad ones. I placed the stickypad trap where it looked like they were walking. With not much luck we needed to change the plan.

Shortly thereafter we heard them above our heads in the attic.... *skitter skitter skitter*
AH HA! I have them zeroed in.

To the attic i climb, searching for their evidence. And there towards the back I found a small hole in the insulation...an obvious entrance. I buttered up the two snap traps and set the by the hole on super bowl Sunday.

Last evening I went up to check the traps... "Yessah! i got two. " One looked like it had been severed in half...the odd thing was that I could not find the other half of the body. I replaced the traps.

During the night I heard more of the little bastards. I also think i heard a trap snap shut. So Ill head up there tonight and see if i have increased the mouse kill to 3 or more.

later Ill post graphic pictures of the kills.