Thousands of Gallons of Hazardous Waste Safely Removed

MEREDITH — Each year residents and property owners in the Lakes Region have an opportunity to safely dispose of hazardous products from their household, reducing accidents in their home.

On the last weekend of July and first weekend in August more than 1,750 households dropped off a total of 18,900 gallons of hazardous products, ensuring that these materials will not enter the drinking water or the environment, on which the local economy is so dependent.

For twenty-five years the Lakes Region Planning Commission (LRPC) has coordinated household hazardous waste (HHW) collections in the Lakes Region. In 2012, 24 communities pooled their resources, along with a small grant from the NH Department of Environmental Resources (NH DES) to provide their residents and property owners the opportunity to rid their homes of toxic materials without endangering the Lakes Region's groundwater or soil. Most of these hazardous materials included oil-based paints, household cleaners, automotive fluids, pool chemicals, and lawn and garden products.

The annual collections, held at eight different locations, gave residents and local taxpayers a couple of opportunities to bring their hazardous materials in for convenient and safe disposal. The Swap Table at the Laconia site was active as people found many unused containers of paints, stains, and cleaners that they could make use of in their homes; these items are free for the

taking.

This year each of the eight sites distributed free copies of a flipbook Alternatives to Household Hazardous Waste, designed by LRPC and printed with a special grant from NH DES.

Lakes Region residents and homeowners are encouraged to learn more about how to reduce their use of hazardous household products by visiting the LRPC website http://www.lakesrpc.org/services_hhw.asp.

The continued success of the collection is due to many people, especially the five dozen volunteers and municipal employees who turned out to assist with surveys and traffic control, and the unloading of used motor oil, along with the enthusiastic assistance of site and local coordinators who helped organize and publicize the collections.

Those who still have hazardous products in your home that you wish to dispose of, the Lakes Region Household Hazardous Product Facility in Wolfeboro will be open August 18, September 15, and October 20 from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Call 569-5826 or 651-7530 for details.