Hazardous waste assortment breaks data

The 2023 Monongalia County Family Hazardous Waste Assortment Day proved to be one other record-breaking occasion with 539 autos going via the road.

“It was a rare occasion during which we collected greater than 13 tons of fabric,” mentioned Morgantown Utility Board Director of Communications Chris Dale. “Because of this we safely unloaded a car about each 20 seconds.”

Outdoors of 45 kilos of waste collected, 24% was recycled, power restoration accounted for 58%, 13% was handled and 4% incinerated.

“This occasion is crucial as a result of it not solely protects our uncooked water sources however different components of our surroundings. Due to the occasion, 13 tons of fabric is not going to pollute our surroundings or pose a risk to first responders within the occasion of a home hearth,” Dale mentioned.

Materials collected consists of 7,284 kilos of paint; 2,843 kilos of pesticide; 2,231 kilos of oil; 1,846 kilos of flammable liquids; and 1,278 kilos of batteries — together with tons of different gadgets.

“We gather loads of materials that individuals could not even think about. For instance, we acquired 15 kilos of mercury and greater than 1,000 kilos of aerosols,” Dale mentioned.

One other merchandise collected that has an incredible influence on the well being of the group is firefighting foam. This substance is a main supply of PFAS air pollution, a compound which will trigger dangers to well being and are known as “eternally chemical substances” due to the intense size of time it takes for the substances to breakdown.

“For the previous few years, we’ve been working with the Morgantown Hearth Division to securely get rid of the froth. It demonstrates the significance of HHWC Day. If you happen to’re searching for an instance of individuals and companies coming collectively for a standard trigger, look no additional than Family Hazardous Waste Assortment Day,” Dale mentioned.

Dale added that the diploma of group involvement might be seen within the sponsors that come collectively to make the occasion potential. This consists of Morgantown Utility Board, the Metropolis of Morgantown, the Monongalia County Fee, Republic Companies, Monongalia County Strong Waste Authority and the Metropolis of Westover.

“In fact, particular because of our employees who volunteered to spend their Saturday lending a hand and MUB Senior Engineer Ken Hacker who performs a crucial function in organizing and managing the occasion,” Dale mentioned.

The subsequent HHWC Day might be in August 2024. Data on the occasion might be discovered at mub.org/hhwc.