Published: September 19, 2006 11:14 pm      

Household hazardous waste collection planned for Raleigh

Every garage has them — old cleaning chemicals, pesticides, motor oil, painting supplies and dozens of other household hazardous materials that don’t belong in the trash or down the drain.

So what is supposed to be done with these leftover dangers?

The city of Beckley, Piney Creek Watershed Association and Raleigh County Solid Waste Authority are teaming up to bring a free household hazardous waste collection to the Raleigh County Armory from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 30.

They’re asking residents — not businesses — to bring in items containing potentially hazardous ingredients, such as oven and drain cleaners, bleach, bug sprays, rat poisons, fuel additives, batteries, paint removers, adhesives, stains and finishes, fluorescent light bulbs and various flammable fuels.

In fact, the federal Environmental Protection Agency estimates Americans generate some 1.6 million tons of household hazardous waste each year, with each home accumulating as much as 100 pounds of it in basements, garages and storage closets.

“When you think that there are 7,500 households in Beckley, that’s 750,000 pounds of hazardous waste that could ultimately be dumped into our sewer systems,” said Jeremiah Johnson, operations manager for the Beckley Sanitary Board.

Improper disposal of such products not only can pollute the environment, it can pose a threat to human health, Johnson said.

While this collection event is hosted by the three local entities, the items collected on site will be handled and carried away by professionals from Clean Harbor, North America’s leading provider of environmental and hazardous waste management services, headquartered in Norwell, Mass.

“There are many environmental reasons for the proper disposal of these things, but there is also the concern for human exposure,” Johnson said.

Curious children, for instance, are often tempted by containers in the garage and could be exposed to a number of harmful chemicals. Emergency responders are also a factor in that they could be exposed to such contaminants during a house fire. Sanitation workers could be exposed to harmful chemicals. And some of those chemicals could cause trouble at the wastewater treatment facility. The wastewater cleaned there eventually reaches the New River, the cleanliness of which is paramount to money generated by the state’s tourism industry.

“There are a lot of reasons we should do something like this to benefit the community,” Johnson said.

One of those reasons, he admits, is because the city needs to do some environmental cleaning of its own.

In April, the city settled alleged violations of EPA regulations by agreeing to pay a $14,099 penalty and organize this Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day for local residents at a cost of $46,850.

The violations, Johnson explained, involved two 3,000-gallon underground storage tanks for diesel fuel and gasoline at the city’s garage on Adair Street.

According to the EPA, the city failed to provide required leak detection and spill prevention safeguards for the tanks in the 4 1/2 years before they were removed last October. The city also failed to provide anti-corrosion cathodic protection for the tanks and piping and failed to provide adequate financial assurance of ability to respond to potential leaks.

Johnson said there were never any leaks, but that the city failed to update the technology on the tanks to detect leaks.

That, he said, is being corrected, and the city is taking other measures to prevent pollution. This is one way, and depending on how the Sept. 30 event goes, such a collection day could become a regular event.

“It’s not just about the settlement,” Johnson said. “This is about health and safety and an opportunity to do something about it.”



ACCEPTABLE, NON-ACCEPTABLE ITEMS

Here are lists of items that will be accepted and will not be accepted Sept. 30 at the household hazardous waste collection.



CAN BRING:

Oil-based paint, paint-related products (solvents, thinners, strippers, turpentine), varnish, lawn and garden chemicals, used motor oil, oil filters, antifreeze, transmission fluid, waste fuels, batteries, lighter fluid, swimming pool chemicals, mercury thermometers, pool chemicals, photo chemicals, drain/oven/floor cleaners, hydrochloric acid, bleaches, rust preventatives, rodent killers, arts/crafts supplies, wood preservatives and cesspool cleaners.



DO NOT BRING:

Large quantities of unknown materials, infectious and biological waste, fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, ammunition, fireworks, explosives, gunpowder, flares, tires, prescription medicines, syringes, commercial or industrial waste, radioactive waste, commercial farming or agriculture materials and unknown gas cylinders.



For more information, call 255-9335.



— E-mail: bnaudrey@register-herald.com