Paint, used cooking oil, pesticides and more can be safely disposed of on Thursday.
The borough is sponsoring a household hazardous waste event from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the transfer station on Evergreen Avenue on the north end of the island.
Fees are waived up to 200 pounds in materials and will cost $18 per load for anything over that weight, said Tom Wetor, Public Works Department director. Only household waste can be brought to the collections event; no commercial waste.
The site will be closed for lunch from 11 a.m. to noon.
It’s the first time in two years that the borough has held such an event, he said. The 2021 event had a “pretty good” turnout.
“We missed last year, so we’re kind of overflowing now,” Wetor said. “Between this June and next June, we should be back to square one” for getting rid of hazardous materials.
This year, Wrangell is combining its efforts with Petersburg, which hasn’t held such an event since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The last few years, we had been working with a company called Clean Harbors. It was hard to get them to commit to us,” Wetor said of this year’s collection and disposal effort. “The company we’re going with, U.S. Ecology, is being acquired by Republic Services, who manages our main garbage contract.”
A representative from U.S. Ecology will be at the event to help public works staff to combine like materials and prepare waste from shipping. The refuse will then be taken to Petersburg to assemble with that community’s hazardous materials to be taken to an approved disposal site in the Lower 48.
Things like motor oil, oily bilge water, paint and stain, antifreeze, batteries and other household items can be included. Prohibited items include explosives, gun powder, reactive metals, infectious waste and others.
For a full list of accepted and non-acceptable items, visit wrangell.com/community/household-hazardous-waste-collection or call 907-894-3904. Information sheets are also available at city hall, the transfer station or public works.
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