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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Don't shoot that old TV!
The Bureau of Land Management in Utah's west desert worries the switch to digital signals for television will lead to a rash of TVs that are illegally abandoned and used for target practice.
Glenn Carpenter, manager of the BLM's West Desert office, says he's already seen an increase in recent years in the number of illegally dumped TVs, computer monitors, keyboards and cell phones.
"Folks will go out there and put their old televisions or their computer monitors and use those for a target," says Erin Darboven, spokeswoman for the BLM's West Desert District.
Not only are the discarded items potentially hazardous -- many contain lead, mercury and arsenic -- but they can be difficult and expensive to remove. BLM officials urge residents to follow state disposal guidelines for electronic waste.
Darboven says it can cost the BLM $7,000 per TV to clean up, because they have to contract out the hazardous material work.
Because of the switch from analog to digital broadcasting, the BLM fears more people will be getting rid of older model TVs, thus increasing the problem.
The Department of Environmental Quality has advice for how to safely dispose of TVs and other electronics at this link.
They say the west desert may be particularly vulnerable to illegal dumping because of its proximity to the Salt Lake City area.
Becky Bruce and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
