[StBernard] 4.5 Million Hazardous Material Containers Collected in Southern Louisiana Environmental Responders Keep Hazards Out of Landfills, Away from the Public

[Westley Annis]

 (New Orleans, Louisiana – November 9, 2006)  More than 4.5 million
hazardous material containers have been recovered by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Louisiana Department of Environmental
Quality, Coast Guard and Army Corps of Engineers from areas damaged by
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in southern Louisiana.

Since collection began in September 2005, more than 17 million pounds of
hazardous waste has been recycled or properly disposed of to prevent
future environmental and public health problems

Household hazardous materials include products like bleach, propane,
batteries, paints, solvents, pesticides and fertilizer. Materials are
collected by crews going house to house or are brought to collection
centers by residents.

More than four million of the containers are categorized as “small,”
holding a few ounces or as many as 54 gallons. In addition, more than
40,000 55-gallon drums, 45,000 propane tanks, 76,000 cylinders and 6,400
larger containers containing hundreds to thousands of gallons of
hazardous materials were collected.

Residents are reminded about the importance of separating water-damaged
household hazardous materials, placing them curbside, and keeping the
materials away from water meters and fire hydrants.   As homes are
gutted and demolished, the segregation of household hazardous waste
ensures the proper disposal of this material.

 “We ask that the household hazardous waste not be put in plastic bags.
By setting the material curbside, our job of protecting the state’s
landfills and citizens becomes much easier,” said Nancy Jones, EPA’s
Incident Commander for the Agency’s Hurricane Response.  For those areas
of New Orleans where debris collection has stopped, household hazardous
waste can be dropped off at any of the three public sites which are
located at 2301 Hendee Street, Crowder Road and I-10, or at 2829 Elysian
Fields.

EPA’s Hurricane Response Public Information Office is available to
provide information on a variety of hurricane-related environmental
issues.  Contact the office at (504) 736-7731, or send an e-mail to
R6IMT_InformationOfficer at epa.gov.

                                  -###-