Environment

Two weeks after crude oil train cars derailed and caught fire in northwest Illinois, the site has been stabilized, and now the long-term cleanup and restoration work can begin. 

Local environmentalists say clean water is the next issue Iowa needs to tackle. Saturday, the Eastern Iowa Community Colleges will host a panel discussion with leading water quality experts, at Davenport West High School. Julie Plumer, from Eastern Iowa Community Colleges, says having clean water available is important for Iowa's future. 

She says the five experts will discuss water quality issues, and answer questions. Among the speakers will be Bill Stowe, the CEO of Des Moines Water Works, and Randy Moore, President of the Iowa American Water Company. 

Help with your spring cleaning will be provided next month by the Rock Island County Waste Management Agency. It will hold an electronic collection "event" on April 18th at the county fairgrounds in East Moline.

Flooding should not be a major problem in the coming weeks. That's the message from the National Weather Service in its second Spring Flood Outlook, issued today.