Hundreds of Orleans residents disposing of household hazardous waste today

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Employees from Environmental Enterprises, Inc. of Cincinnati are in Albion today for the Orleans County annual household hazardous waste collection day.

More than 500 residents are expected to get rid of leftover chemicals, batteries, tires, oil and solvents.

The top photo shows and EEI employee at the solvent station where oil, anti-freeze and solvents are collected.

The county has had a contract with EEI for several years for the household hazardous waste collection. The company has 22 employees in Albion today and they will take back two tractor-trailer loads of household hazardous waste.

The county typically pays the company about $18,000 to collect and remove the household hazardous waste, with the state then reimbursing the county about half of the costs.

EEI does the collection events for communities in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky and Indianna.

The event is held at the Orleans County Highway Garage on West Academy Street in Albion with residents signing up for appointments to dispose of their materials in a safe and environmental-friendly way.

EEI workers took all kinds of household hazardous waste, including pesticides, motor oiler & filters, adhesives, antifreeze, solvents, tires, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, aerosols, old-based paints and empty propane tanks.

Orleans County Public Works Department employees remove tires from the back of a pickup truck. Andy Beach is pulling the tires off. Other highway employees include Vinny Zona, Cale Stinson Jr. and Keith Ward. Corey Winters, right, from the planning department also worked with the crew.

Last year about 3,000 tires were collected.