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
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 4 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
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@epa.gov.