Due to budget constraints, for the second year in a row, Brandon Township is not participating in the NO-HAZ program, leaving residents without a designated place to safely dispose of household hazardous waste.
‘Communities are in these financial crises, I understand, but they have to get alternative information out to the community as much as possible,? said Whitney Calio, environmental program coordinator for Oakland County. ‘It’s possible residents will either store things or may dispose of things in undesirable ways… Depending on what people do, it could be an environmental crisis.?
Township Supervisor Kathy Thurman said she is compiling a reference list of places residents can take their hazardous waste.
‘I think hazardous waste in the township has always been a concern, but certainly, if we provide a list of where people can take hazardous waste, that will help,? she said. ‘I think in the past, a lot got dumped. It all depends on what you have? some things are easier to get rid of than others.?
From 2003-2008, the township was part of the consortium of NO-HAZ communities which allow residents to take hazardous materials including lead paint, used motor oil, computers, electronics, and more at a designated time and place for a charge per car. The township picks up the majority of the cost for residents, spending about $30 per car. Each resident picked up the remaining $10 cost. In 2008, 252 cars from the township were counted as participating, costing the township an estimated $12,000, compared to the 41 cars from the township hauling hazardous waste in 2006 at a cost to the township of $3,215. Thurman asked the county this year to let residents participate if they were willing to pay their own way, but because of the way the program is administered, the county can’t accommodate willing residents.
‘In the past, communities in the consortium have opted to not allow residents of non-participating communities to participate,? Calio said. ‘There is an administrative cost and time commitment from the communities participating. It would be a substantial charge per car anyway? $45-$60 per car, not a small amount and would depend on what hazardous materials they had.? Christine Grossman, compliance assistance specialist with the Michigan Department Natural Resources and Environment, said that even though communities are struggling to meet the need, all is not lost.
‘Household generated waste considered harmful to environment can be sent to landfill, but it’s in the general public’s interest to recycle those materials or better dispose of them,? she said. ‘Landfills are engineered to prevent releases to the environment, but there are other options.?
Both Grossman and Calio note that some businesses will accept hazardous materials, such as Home Depot (compact fluorescent light bulbs) and Murray’s Auto Stores (used motor oil). Calio said Best Buy and Office Depot now take back computer and electronics for a charge.
‘If (residents) are careful, waiting is an option,? Grossman said. ‘We do know that materials in landfills degrade and when it decomposes, many chemical compounds in hazardous waste streams maybe found in the leachate, liquids from waste decomposition that eventually could impact the environment. Look at other options available to you and use them. If there are other options to keep the materials safe and contained, that may be best option to wait until the next collection comes back.? More information on recycling and disposal options can be found by calling
1-800-CLEANUP, visiting earth911.com, or at www.michigan.gov/deqwaste.