Hazardous waste collection offered to Chatfield residents gives the opportunity to clean out garages and under-sink cupboards and drop off the unwanted paints and solvents for safe disposal, instead of the items remaining in their homes or being illegally dumped in ditches.
“Chatfield partners with Olmsted County annually in September for a hazardous waste collection,” stated Chatfield’s city maintenance supervisor Brian Burkholder. He said the hazardous household waste collection held last Tuesday, Sept. 11 was a great success. Burkholder observed, “It goes over really well, compared to other city pickups. Usually, it brings in about 50 to 70 households, and this year, it was 85, and that was not really a surprise. It usually happens early for those that are prepared and usually retired residents, and then it picks up again around 5 to 5:30 for those getting home from work. Roughly three boxes on pallets were filled. Typically, people bring latex-based paints and oil-based paints, also a bit of old, old paint cans and liquids if they are cleaning out old sheds or buildings. Some of it was very old.”
“Holding this collection is one of many of our requirements that we are required to have under our wellhead protection plan,” he explained. “By disposing of these contaminants properly, it prevents the contaminants from getting into the aquifers, or drinking water. If people dump it in the ditches, it will eventually make it to our aquifers. This is an important event for our city and our wellhead protection plan. The more we can collect, the better off our drinking water system will be.”
Read the full story at http://www.bluffcountrynews.com/content/hazardous-waste-collection-benefits-city-several-ways.