Moberly to provide Household Hazardous Waste Program

The City of Moberly Public Utility Department will provide for collection and disposal of household hazardous wastes at the City Street Barn. The collection and redistribution will take place from 8 a.m. to 11a.m. on the second and fourth Saturday of each month beginning on Saturday June 12. The program will run through the end of October with start up again in March of 2011. The City will also provide for redistribution of the collected paints to area residents. Anyone wanting paint for a small project is welcome to the collected paints.

The term Household Hazardous Wastes (HHW) is usually associated with those hazardous wastes generated in relatively small amounts by individual consumers as used within and/or around the residence. They include paints, both latex and oil based, stains, solvents, pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, used oil and antifreeze, cleaning compounds and various other household chemicals. These products become hazardous wastes once the consumer no longer has a use for them. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) reports HHW is approximately one percent (1%) of the municipal solid waste stream, most of which ends up in local landfills. In addition, there are countless amounts in storage in basements, garages and under kitchen sinks due to lack of knowledge as to how or where to dispose of the materials. Individually these are small amounts, but collectively add up to large volumes that must be disposed of correctly and safely.

The City requests the following guidelines to be respected:

All participants bringing in HHW for collection must sigh in with name and address stating what HHW is being brought in and in what amounts.

All participants taking out paints and/or stains must sign in with name and address stating what is being taken out and in what amounts.

All materials must be in original containers with original labels intact and legible.

If the original container is leaking, the container must be placed in a plastic container and then filled in with clay type kitty litter.

Used oil must be free of water, in a sturdy plastic container securely capped and clearly marked.

Used antifreeze must be in a sturdy plastic container securely capped and clearly marked.

Excluded wastes include:

- Garbage

- Asbestos

- Dioxin-bearing wastes

- Explosives

- Radioactives such as smoke detectors

- Unlabeled or unknown wastes

- Medical wastes, i.e. insulin needles, expired or unused prescriptions

- Banned pesticides

- Compressed gas cylinders

For more information on the Household Hazardous Wastes Collection/Redistribution program please contact Geri Blakely at 660.263.7164 or gblakely@cityofmoberly.com