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DeSoto County slates hazardous waste cleanup for SaturdayOct 18, 2011 (The Commercial Appeal - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Give me your tired car batteries, your poor old aerosol cans, your huddled masses of aging fungicides, pesticides and cesspool cleaner that might harm the environment, urges Ray Laughter. DeSoto County's solid-waste coordinator has slated Saturday as this year's countywide hazardous waste cleanup day, and he hopes to see hundreds of carloads of toxic stuff pulling up to the DeSoto Civic Center parking lot. "I want everyone to bring it to us, so we can dispose of it properly," said Laughter. He also is county storm-water coordinator, and he doesn't want local toxins to make their way into streams, rivers and eventually the ocean. "That's why we have this event," he said. Waste day will run from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Crews of volunteers with solid-waste contractor Waste Connections, Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality and the cities will be on hand to help the county receive hazardous materials on the southwest corner parking lot -- Venture Drive and Turman Drive -- at the DCC in Southaven. "Pollution Control Industries will take it and dispose of it," said Laughter of the toxic waste. Another contractor, Creative Recycling, will recycle electronic items. Grants administered by MDEQ aid these collections in the county. In 2010, DeSoto was reimbursed $24,500 for its costs; for 2011 the grant is $35,700. The county paid $3,040 for electronics removal at the 2010 event; this year the budgeted cost plummets to just over $500 -- mostly to handle glass -- due to the new recycling deal with Creative. DeSoto gets 15 cents per pound for every desktop computer, 10 cents per pound for each fax unit, and 15 cents per pound for laptops, said Vanessa Lynchard, the county's director of Administrative Services and Procurement. For televisions, the rate is 12 cents a pound, and 5 cents per pound for monitors. Last year, at least 444 vehicles showed up to unload toxic waste. "We're hoping for at least the same number to come through this year," said Laughter. For information, call DeSoto Environmental Services at (662) 429-5593. Haz-mat list Materials accepted at Saturday's countywide cleanup drop-off at the DeSoto Civic Center include: acids, aerosol cans, art supplies, flammable liquids, furniture stain, floor stripping, lead paint, oil-based paint, mercury, photography chemicals, solvent adhesives, antifreeze and car batteries. Also sought are lighter fluids, oven cleaners, chlorine bleach, cesspool cleaners, flea and tick powders, insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, pesticides, poisons, pool chemicals, brake fluid and carburetor cleaners. Electronics accepted are: computers, televisions, copiers, telephones (including cellphones), laptops, monitors, printers, fax machines, typewriters and microwaves. ___ (c)2011 The Commercial Appeal (Memphis, Tenn.) Visit The Commercial Appeal (Memphis, Tenn.) at www.commercialappeal.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |