Town Of Smithtown Collects 22 Tons of Household Hazardous Waste

KINGS PARK, NY — More than 22 tons of household hazardous waste were collected by the Town of Smithtown during its first disposal drive of the year on July 11, the Town announced in a news release. It was the largest load collected yet, as 431 Smithtown households participated in safely disposing 45,080 pounds of toxic items, which are prohibited in regular curbside waste pickups.

Residents were asked to wear face masks and not leave their cars to protect everyone’s well-being amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Smithtown Municipal Services Facility employees worked with the Department of Environment and Waterways Environmental Director David Barnes and Solid Waste Coordinator Mike Engelmann to safely secure over 50 55-gallon drums, two 5-gallon pails, 12 1-cubic yard boxes and two full 30 cubic yard roll-off containers loaded up with paints, solvents, etc. The exact weight collected was 22.54 tons in hazardous materials.

"I want to personally commend Mike Engelmann and David Barnes along with Pubic Safety, and the amazing team at MSF who worked well into the evening hours, in the summer heat, lifting heavy boxes and sorting household toxins… all while wearing uncomfortable face coverings," Supervisor Ed Wehrheim stated. "Because of their commitment to protecting our environment and steadfast dedication to the community, we’ve safely disposed of more than 22 tons of hazardous household waste within the township, despite a worldwide pandemic."

While this year's first event didn't have as many participants as the one in April 2019, which featured over 600 homes, it did yield a much larger accumulation. Those materials were collected and manifested for disposal by Care Environmental Corp.

The most common hazardous materials collected for disposal were waste oil-based paints, flammable paints, gasoline, paint thinners, waste gases, petroleum distillates, flammable solids, oxidizers liquids and solids, sodium/potassium nitrates, acids, corrosives, pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, toxic liquids (i.e. Chlordane, etc.) and solids, lacquers, lithium batteries, battery acids and various other toxic compounds. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is expected to reimburse the Town for 50 percent of the contractor expense for the drive.

The next hazardous household waste event is scheduled for Oct. 3, 2020 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Smithtown Municipal Services Facility, located at 85 Old Northport Road, Kings Park. The event is for Smithtown Township residents only, and proof of residency will be strictly enforced.

Residents can also dispose of electronic waste, free of charge, at the Town Recycling Center, also located at 85 Old Northport Road. Electronic Waste such as computers, printers, televisions, monitors, automotive and household batteries can be dropped off during regular hours for proper recycling.