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6/28/2009 3:32 AM

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Every time I discarded a household chemical in the garbage, I was concerned about the environmental effects of my trash hauler dumping them in Arden Landfill. As a result, I made the effort to collect all these chemicals in a box in my garage. At the end of a year, the box was full of batteries, caulking tubes, paints, aerosol cans, insecticides, cements, cleaners, sealants and the like accumulated from normal usage and a garage cleanup.

Many of these household chemicals are now labeled with words "DISPOSE OF PROPERLY." Also, the local trash hauler has some restrictions on what they will take both on a weekly basis and during the Annual Spring Clean Up Day. In response to my inquiry, Chartiers Township's manager advised that the Washington County Planning Commission was conducting a Household Hazardous Waste Collection on June 20. This Commission works with the South Western Household Hazardous Waste Taste Force.

On Saturday, I drove to the collection site in the old Giant Eagle parking lot at the Washington Mall. It was a delight to find directional signs, a well-marked driving lane, and an army of volunteers barking out directions at each station of the collection process. Farther down the line, I could see numerous huge cardboard boxes where a whole crew of volunteers was separating the chemicals. Wow, this is great, or so I thought.

After inspecting the contents of the box in the back of my truck, a volunteer handed me a slip that indicated a $10 fee. That's when I lost all of my good citizenship feelings. I expressed my concern to a couple of the in-charge volunteers that charging people for this drop-off removes the incentive for most household consumers to make the effort, especially in these difficult economic times. A somewhat heated, but civil, debate ensued. Here are three of the comments made on their side of the debate.

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n The $2 per gallon fee for the waste is but half of what it costs to dispose of these chemicals.

n Don't buy so many of these items, then you won't have such a problem.

n There is a cost associated with everything we do today.

In an effort to illustrate my point on killing the incentive, I reminded them of the disposal fee tacked on to old tires when you replace them with new tires. As a result, old tires accumulated in a homeowner's garage often appear along the banks of Chartiers Creek or at the bottom of many hillsides. People simply do not want to pay fees for something they can simply discard in a garbage bag or otherwise.

With all the taxes built in to every item we purchase, I find it very difficult to pay a fee for this voluntary effort on my part. Will my conscience prevent me from simply placing household hazardous waste materials in my garage bags for weekly pickups? Maybe I should think about this. I was told by one of the volunteers that if I am caught by my local trash hauler, they can report me to the authorities.

Donn D. Drummond

Houston

Halfway house

in poor location

I am writing concerning the halfway house currently being built on Route 19 in North Strabane Township. This is going to be a Greenbriar Treatment Center facility that will house 25 drug-addicted men. Some of them with mental health issues. I think this is so ironic because the township board blocked the treatment facility on Linden Road, stating they made the decision based on what was best for the residents. They also stated another reason as North Strabane was a place to raise your family. I am raising my family in North Strabane and I find it disturbing that they would block a facility that gives treatment and allow a residential facility in my backyard. They have permitted this construction right next to Meadow Lake and Meadowbrook housing communities. Someone needs to inform North Strabane Township board members that these communities are full of young families that felt North Strabane was a place to raise their children. Now I am not sure that is the case.

Susan Balsamo

North Strabane Township

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5 comments

Susan : 6/28/2009
I would be less concerned about the facility on RT 19 and more concerned about the drugs your kids will be subject to on a daily basis. In school any anywhere else they go. Do not assume for one minute that your child will never be influenced by drugs or alcohol. Even the best of parents may fail on this issue. May you never have the need for Greenbrier.

Did it right and still missed the signs.

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Susan : 6/28/2009
I hate to break it to you but there is no completely safe place to raise your children today drugs and alcohol are everywhere. we may live in a rural area but they still refer to Can Mac as heroin high.

drugs no longer an inter city problem

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Susan : 6/29/2009
Too bad you didn't have a gaggle of lawyers to "stand up" for you against the halfway house. Never mind the fact that those folks drove by the building (which only has one use) daily as they looked for or built their house off of Linden. Oh well. Same old same old in NST.

Frank Siffrinn's way

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Household Chemical Disposal : 7/1/2009
Geez, the feds give the states money to do these cleanups, and as I understand it they get enough money to do it in each county in the state. Some states staff the even with volunteer workers from the correctional facilities who get community service for DUI, etc in exchange for their time sorting the products. And it costs nothing. But then again, we aren't a tax and spend state like you...

vscott519

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: 7/2/2009
Noone wants it in their neighborhood---I think the point is that Gateway was not allowed to come, but amazingly Greenbriar is.

tresarmos

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