Hazardous waste cleanup event shows growth

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, October 3, 2007

HAVERHILL — Bigger than last year.

Lawrence-Scioto Solid Waste Management District officials said the turnout for the second annual household hazardous waste cleanup event Saturday at the Dow Chemical plant surpassed last year’s event.

The one-day event allowed residents of the two counties to drop off — free of charge— household items that can’t be taken to an ordinary landfill, such as discarded paint and paint thinners, tires, old computers and pesticides.

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This year, 142 vehicles made a trip through the collection points and dropped off more than 26,000 pounds of unwanted household waste.

Of the 142 participants, 76 were from Lawrence County. Last year 61 of the 137 cars that went through the drop off area were Lawrence residents.

Unwanted paint-related products comprised the largest portion of the items collected.

Those items amounted to 8,100 pounds. Paint came in second on the list: 6,450 pounds of paints was collected.

Dalton Tires of Westwood, Ky., collected 800 old tires. In many cases, the amount of items collected this year was twice the amount of the same item collected last year.