Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 14, 1990 TAG: 9003143249
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-3 EDITION: EVENING
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER MUNICIPAL WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Having no way to properly dispose of old containers with paint solvents, insecticides and other potentially hazardous waste, many homeowners simply put the materials into their garbage, he said.
Parrott, chairman of the landfill's management board, said today the hazardous waste is then buried in the landfill along with other garbage.
Other homeowners just leave the old containers and hazardous materials in storage rooms or sitting on shelves.
Parrott told the board that he is looking into the possibility of establishing an "amnesty day" for the collection of household hazardous waste.
Residents could bring their hazardous materials to a drop-off center where they would be collected. The landfill board would hire a hazardous-waste disposal company to collect the material and dispose of it at a proper disposal site.
Parrott said the amnesty day could be expensive for the landfill because it would have to pay for disposal of the materials. But he said he is concerned about the potential liability if the materials are buried in the landfill.
Many cities have arranged similar collection days for hazardous materials, he said. One nearby city is Winston-Salem, N.C., he said.
On another matter, the board was told that the Clean Valley Council is working with Kroger Stores and Cycle Systems to make recycling of old telephone directories more accessible to valley residents this year.
Specially marked containers will be placed at the Kroger stores in Lake Drive Plaza shopping center and Cave Spring Corners for the collection of old phone books.
The containers will be at the stores between March 30 and April 20. The Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Co. will deliver new phone directories to customers soon.
Boy Scouts in the valley will also collect old directories. The proceeds from the recycling of the directories will be shared by the Boy Scouts and an advisory committee for Kroger for use in community projects.
The board also was told that Roanoke and Vinton will begin recycling plans this summer to help reduce the volume of trash that is buried in the landfill. Roanoke County also will start a recycling program on a trial basis this summer that could be expanded to all county households by 1993.
by CNB