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News from Cherokee Nation
Copyright © 2004 CNO
PRYOR, OKLAHOMA - Cherokee Nation will host a free household pollutant disposal in Mayes County on Saturday, April 3.
Potentially hazardous products like these may be disposed of safely and conveniently on April 3 at Mayes County’s Household Pollutant Collection Event. 
"Collection programs like this started in the larger cities several years ago and have been adopted more and more by smaller communities as we’ve come to better understand the benefits of the service and how to manage the costs", said Ken Purdy, program director of the Solid Waste Institute of Northeast Oklahoma and coordinator for the upcoming collection project.
For convenience, pollutants will be accepted at four locations. The main event will take place at the Mayes County Fairgrounds in Pryor from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Satellite collections will be held in Locust Grove, at the sewer plant across from the high school, only between 8 and 10 a.m.; in Chouteau, at the sewer plant on old Hwy 33 and N. 6th Street, only between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.; and in Salina, in the parking lot of the Cherokee Nation Health Clinic, only between 2 and 4 p.m.
Residents of Mayes County can bring in any type of chemical waste generated by ordinary household activities such as automotive products like motor oil, antifreeze, gasoline, car wax, lead-acid batteries, brake and transmission fluids. Also collected will be bottles of furniture polish, drain cleaner, oven cleaner, and spot remover. Other acceptable wastes include home and garden products such as insecticides, weed killers, rat poison, pet sprays, wood preservatives, petroleum solvents, and pool chemicals. Fluorescent bulbs, smoke alarms, hobby chemicals, mercury, and adhesives will also be accepted. Wastes from commercial or business sources cannot be accepted.
Trained personnel will unload materials, sort it, and prepare it for transport to the processing facility. Much of the collected material will be reused or recycled. The remainder will be disposed of at an approved hazardous waste facility.
A few special types of waste will have to be excluded from the event for safety reasons. Pressurized gas cylinders, radioactive materials, medical wastes, pharmaceuticals, ammunition and other explosives, containers of unknown substances, and any wastes from business, commercial, or agricultural activities cannot be accepted. Ordinary bulky waste, used tires, and other trash will not be collected at this event.
Purdy said that increasingly, communities are creating opportunities for residents to participate in these more environmentally responsible alternatives for the disposal of household pollutants.
Purdy also stated that old, unused paint will be one of the main products discarded by participants at the upcoming event. He indicated, however, that not all unwanted paint should be brought to the event.
"This is a great way to dispose of oil-based paint, along with paint thinners, strippers, solvents, caulk, adhesives, and specialty paints. However, we’re encouraging homeowners to dispose of latex paint at home when possible", Purdy said.
Latex paint is not considered a hazardous material. Partial cans of paint should be solidified and discarded in the regular trash.
"Just open the can of latex paint and let it dry or pour small amounts over layers of shredded newspaper until it’s used up. Then bag it and set it out with your regular trash collection. This really helps us manage the costs by using the funds for those items that are hazardous and possibly dangerous when left in the home", said Purdy.
The event will also feature a special designated area called the "swap shop" or materials reuse area. In the swap shop, unused paint and other items received at the site in a usable condition will be set aside for reuse. They’ll be available at no charge to area residents.
Another valuable feature of this waste collection is that up to three unwanted computers or TV sets will also be accepted from each participating vehicle. These electronic wastes are considered "pollutants" because each computer monitor or TV tube contains between three and eight pounds of lead along with other metals located in their circuitry. These metals, if disposed in landfills, pose a risk to groundwater. All electronic wastes received at the collection event will be deconstructed and the materials recycled.
For more information about the upcoming Household Pollutant Collection, contact the Solid Waste Institute of Northeast Oklahoma, toll-free, 888-452-0116.
| Related contact information: |
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Mike Miller, Cherokee Nation Director of Communications Phone: 918-456-0671 (ext.2210) Fax: 918-458-5580 E-mail: Communications@cherokee.org
Larry Daugherty, Advertising Manager |
Steven Swogger, Agriculture Liaison Natural Resources Department Phone: 918-456-0671 (ext.2546) FAX: 918-458-7673 E-mail: sswogger@cherokee.org
Bradley D. Peak, Cherokee Nation |