April 28, 2011 - Dr. Susan B. Thomas, Executive Director of the Texoma Council of Governments, has announcedthe schedule for the 2011 Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collections in the Texoma Region. The collections will be held on Saturday, April 30, in three separate locations including the Criminal Justice Center located in Gainesville, Midway Mall in Sherman, and the Precinct 4 County Warehouse on the east side of Bonham. All collections will begin at 9 a.m. and close no later than 1 p.m.
"This is an important service TCOG brings to the region. We can preach the benefits of 'Reduce, Reuse, Recycle' all day long, but to be effective, we have to also provide our citizens the resources they need to properly dispose of and recycle materials," Dr. Thomas stated. "This year we have an E-waste company that will be accepting anything that runs on electricity including items such as old refrigerators, window unit air conditioners, or your old kitchen mixer."
Waste in and around homes that cannot be composted, put in the trash, or in a recycling bin is called "Household Hazardous Waste". HHW around the home includes fluorescent light bulbs, cleaners, paints, batteries, televisions, and computer monitors. Other items considered HHW are tires, fuels, pool chemicals, automotive batteries, motor oil, oil filters, antifreeze, pesticides, and herbicides.
All of these products contain potentially hazardous ingredients that require special disposal measures. The best way of knowing if a product is a hazardous waste is to read the label. Words such as caution, warning, danger or poison indicate the product is flammable, reactive, corrosive, and/or toxic. Improper disposal of these products would include pouring them down the sink, on the ground, in a storm drain, burning, and in some cases putting them in the trash. Without proper storage and disposal of these wastes, it is possible for them to become harmful to the environment and human health. It is important that HHW are not put into landfills because they could have a chemical reaction with items around them and become explosive. The possibility of HHW leaching through the ground and contacting groundwater and surface water can create contaminated drinking water and damage aquatic habitat.
There will be some restrictions at the collection events. Paint, oil, and other liquids will be limited to ten gallons or less. Tires are limited to four or less per vehicle that brings material to the events. Only car and light truck tires will be accepted. Tires with rims are not allowed. Ammunition, explosive materials, and compressed gas cylinders will not be accepted.
The Texoma Council of Governments is a voluntary association of the local governments in Cooke, Fannin, and Grayson Counties. Established in 1968, the Texoma Council of Governments promotes economy and efficiency in the coordinated planning and development of the tri-county region through its community and economic development activities. Either directly, or through contractors, the Council provides housing, utility assistance, and weatherization services for low-income citizens in the region and assists the elderly through a variety of Area Agency on Aging programs.The Council also facilitates the delivery of grant funding for homeland security, criminal justice, and transportation needs.
TrackBack URI for this entry
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|