Monticello, NY – Sullivan County Department of Solid Waste & Recycling staff and technicians from Care Environmental Corporation collected 10,380 pounds (5.19 tons!) of unwanted toxic substances from household generators in Sullivan County at the second of two Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Collection events held on July 23.
Residents turned out in a steady stream of vehicles over a five-hour period to have their hazardous materials systematically processed for recovery or proper disposal. Ninety Sullivan County households participated in this chemical cleanup event. Over 1,900 gallons of liquids and hundreds of pounds of hazardous solids were accepted. This included fluorescent lamps, automotive batteries, Lindane® pesticide, solvents, Roundup® herbicide, a container of carbon tetrachloride, bottles of naphtha and 7 pounds of liquid mercury!
Program participants offered great feedback on ways to improve the collection of hazardous materials by the County. With 8.82 total tons of hazardous materials safely managed in 2017, additional disposal options may be worth a look, as improperly discarded hazardous waste is dangerous to people and harmful to the environment.
If you missed this cleanup event, don’t worry: the Department of Solid Waste and Recycling anticipates holding additional HHW collection events for Sullivan County households in 2018. Please call 845-807-0291 during business hours Monday-Friday for more information about managing household hazardous waste, recycling and composting.
Special thanks to the Sullivan County Legislature for underwriting this program and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for matching grant funds to help defray the cost of these collection events.
