Hazardous waste day a toxic success

LACONIA — A total of 311 vehicles rolled through the city’s Public Works Garage on Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to noon to allow people to discard hazardous waste ranging from art supplies to pesticides.

But what is done with all that toxic material?

Public Works Director Wes Anderson said Monday a contractor collects the stuff, sorts it and hauls it away.

“The materials are neutralized, rendered safe and then properly disposed of,” Anderson said.

Some chemicals can be neutralized by mixing them with other things. Once rendered safe, some of the material is brought to a power generation plant fired by the incineration of waste. Other material may be used at another plant where cement is made.

Some potentially hazardous waste, such as fluorescent tubes containing small amounts of mercury, are recycled.

Some people make the mistake of bringing latex paint to hazardous waste day.

“Latex paint is not hazardous,” Anderson said. “The only bad thing is that it is wet. There is nothing like seeing it drip out of the back of a truck as it’s rolling down the road.”

He advises people to use up their paint.

“Put on another coat,” he said. “Or mix it with sand or kitty litter so that it thickens and dries.”

Items accepted included cleaning fluid, roofing tar, car wax polish, antifreeze, gasoline and diesel fuel, carburetor cleaners, herbicides, weedkillers, pool chemicals, coal-tar based driveway sealer, paint stripper, oil-based paints, stains, varnishes and spray paint.

Not accepted were radioactive materials, ammunition, electronics, tires, asbestos and propane tanks.

As for himself, Anderson got rid of some fire ant killer.

Wait a minute, there are no fire ants around here, are there?

“I used to live down South,” Anderson explained.

He once was public works director in Greenville, North Carolina.