It appears district residents once again will get a chance to properly dispose of old paint, oil, and other such materials this spring after town council agreed Monday night to host another Household Hazardous Waste Day.
In a report to council, Operations and Facilities manager Doug Brown recommended the town sponsor the event, which is co-ordinated by the Rainy River Watershed Program, as it has for the past three years.
His rationale to back the event, slated for Saturday, May 14 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Public Works yard located on Fifth Street West at Wright Avenue, was based on the following factors:
•household hazardous waste could be disposed in an environmentally-acceptable manner thanks to such an opportunity;
•the “waste day” could reduce the potential of such waste being deposited at the municipal landfill;
•it aids in protecting the watershed; and
•the public has been directed in the past that this is an annual event, and they should stockpile their household hazardous waste in anticipation of it (seeing the event continue would get people into a routine).
Council’s agreement to host Household Hazardous Waste Day involves a financial expenditure of $15,000 to be approved prior to finalization of the 2005 budget.
Household Hazardous Waste Day is designed to facilitate the safe disposal of reactive, flammable, corrosive, poisonous, and otherwise potentially-dangerous materials found in the households of Rainy River District’s 27,000 residents.
Waste products you can turn in May 14 include batteries, drain cleaners, oven cleaners, pesticides, rat poison, pharmaceuticals, cleaning fluids, pool chemicals, bleach, ammonia, aerosols, paints/solvents, oils/gasoline, barbecue starter fluid, and propane cylinders.
Waste products should be separated and labelled.
No PCBs, commercial, infectious, radioactive, or unknown wastes, or commercially-generated waste, will be accepted.
Last year’s event removed some 20,000 kg of hazardous waste from 380 district households—four times the amount it did the year before.
Hazardous materials that are turned in all are transported from here to Clean Harbor’s transfer facility in Winnipeg.
From there, the waste is transported to licensed facilities for processing and disposal. Waste paint, petroleum oil, compressed propane cylinders, and lead acid batteries are taken to recycling facilities.
< *c>Free tipping day
Household Hazardous Waste Day once again will coincide with a free tipping day at the municipal landfill, which will be open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
The town stressed the waiving of tipping fees applies strictly to leaves, tree branches, grass clippings, and garden waste. These items must be separate from regular waste when brought to the landfill.
Last year saw 309 vehicles drop by to get rid of yard and garden waste, resulting in 66 tonnes of organic waste going into the landfill.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
