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Jan. 30, 2008
SOLID WASTE DISTRICT UNVEILS NEW HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE FACILITIES IN ROLLA, ST. ROBERT
Appointment necessary to drop off HHW items
Residents of Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties who have household hazardous waste materials, such as car batteries, used oil or antifreeze or other toxic, poisonous or flammable products will now be able to dispose of them free of charge at two new satellite Household Hazardous Waste facilities in Rolla and St. Robert.
The Rolla facility, now open, is located at the Rolla Recycling Center, 2141 Old St. James Road in Rolla. The St. Robert facility, to open Feb. 19, will be located at the St. Robert Transfer Station, located at J.H. Williamson Drive. While the service is free, an appointment is necessary to drop-off materials at either location.
Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District, in partnership with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, provided funding to the cities of St. Robert and Rolla in the amount of $6,900 to establish and operate the facilities. Solid waste department employees in St. Robert and Rolla have been trained in accepting waste and proper storage.
The facilities are designed to serve residential customers only, explained Tammy Snodgrass, administrator of the solid waste district and environmental manager for Meramec Regional Planning Commission. Business and commercial waste is prohibited.
Persons interested in using either facility can make an appointment by calling the Rolla Recycling Center or St. Robert Transfer Station during normal business hours, depending on which facility the person wishes to visit. The Rolla number is 573-364-6693. The St. Robert number is 573-336-5155. When you call, please be prepared to describe the types of materials and quantity of each that you wish to drop off so that staff can make arrangements to receive and properly store the materials at the facility.
“Deliveries will be accepted by appointment only, so please make sure you call and arrange an appointment before driving to Rolla or St. Robert,” Snodgrass stressed.
A substance is considered hazardous when it contains ingredients or a combination of ingredients that can be harmful to the environment and/or human health, explained Snodgrass. HHW products may ignite easily, react or explode when mixed with other substances, or may be corrosive, toxic or poisonous. Each facility has established limits on the number of gallons of liquids that a household can drop off in a visit. For a complete list of items accepted for drop off at the facility, please contact the facility or go to the respective city websites at www.rollacity.org/waste or www.saintrobert.com and look for the link to the Transfer Station.
“We have offered one-day HHW collections across the region for many years and they are very costly because the contractor must travel a long distance and never knows what will be brought in that day,” Snodgrass said. “After some research, we found this option that provided year-round, on-site storage at a cost comparable to the one-day collections.
Scott Murrell, chairman of the Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District, expressed his appreciation of local governments to work in partnership with the district. “We appreciate the willingness of the cities of St. Robert and Rolla to step forward and to offer these services to the entire solid waste district,” Murrell said.
“The solid waste district does not own any solid waste facilities and has no employees, so it is truly the willingness of our local governments working together that made this possible. It is a real service for our district.”
Rolla Mayor Bill Jenks and St. Robert City Administrator Norm Herren pointed out their cities’ commitment to “going green,” and offering best management practices in regards to household hazardous waste.”
“I echo the statement made recently by our Solid Waste Director Brady Wilson that the new facility will be one of the most important and effective steps the city can take to preserve our environment, eliminate pollution and further safeguard our groundwater supplies and wastewater treatment system,” said Jenks in a recently article in the Rolla Daily News.
Snodgrass re-emphasized that appointments were necessary as well as description of the items planned for drop-off.
For more info or to arrange a drop-off appointment, contact the Rolla Recycling Center at 573-364-6693 or the St. Robert Transfer Station at 573-336-5155.
The Ozark Rivers District includes Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties and their respective cities with populations of 500 or more. The district's strategy for reduction, which has been individually adopted by all member governments and approved by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, involves intense education and increased recycling efforts in member counties and cities. Ozark Rivers contracts with MRPC to provide day-to-day operations and oversee special projects on behalf of the district.
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