Check and see what you have under your kitchen sink, in your laundry room, in your garage. and in your basement. You could have a hazardous waste inci- dent just waiting to happen. Nationally, we generate more than 60,000 tonnes of household hazardous wastes annually. Hazardous wastes are not only chemi- cals used by industry, or PCBs found in older electrical transformers. More com- mon examples of hazardous wastes are household hazardous wastes such as: old car batteries, lighter fluid, turpentine. gasoline, pool chemicals. pesticides, rat poison, and motor oil. In the past, most people got rid of these types of hazardous wastes by leav- ing them curbside, pouring them down the drain, or flushing them down the toi- let. These practices can result in contami- nated soil and drinking water. "Sewage treatment plants do not destroy most of the household hazardous wastes that are poured down the drain. Neither can septic systems which can pass contaminants into soil and well water." said Environment Canada's David Hay. Check for household hazardous waste Realizing the potential problems with oil in their cars. hazardous wastes. some municipalities All oil is harmful to water if the two have annual "household hazardous or are allowed to mix, and used oil from toxic waste days". Statistics Canada esti- your oil change is contaminated and i $259,000 lust Give Me A Call... Courteous Service For You 8. All .53.," J." l e I _ a J". :1 a t . thmtmtssseztm will mm‘mmmbmmmm -dtttmlttat_CyNCVV.2mtittertirtemes tesaLrttsvrtx9irtia-9t!Armst+ . " V " " ... iftfir,; i' . (1: " "e,e=iCrf_."_"." "s"'iTr,s"ii7ihiicdiiii, You've Found It! Sales Representative 338-6550 Lloyd Phinney . t tl M - "re-ep-ya-tels-hr-s-Nm, 'ttrrnut_M's2atr'toqrr"trtpr".tats www.momm mates that in 1991, more than 26% of Canadian households had access to spe- cial household hazardous waste disposal facilities. In many communities, residents can drop off old batteries, cans of paint, or any corrosive material at designated sites. Contact your local municipality for direc- tion on disposing of hazardous materials. If your area does not have a household hazardous waste day, suggest the pro- gram to your local municipal govern- ment. But the best way to get rid of house- hold hazardous waste is to reduce the amount you produce through improved purchasing practices. Look for altema- tives and if you must buy hazardous products, only purchase the amount need- ed. If you do have hazardous waste in or around your house, dispose of it in an environmentally responsible manner. POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAI DANGER IN DO-rr-YOURSELF OH CHANGES One drop of oil can make 25 litres of water unfit for drinking. That's what do-it-yourself oil changers should keep in mind when changing the oil in their cars. $26t,900 6229,ooo termed a hazardous waste. oil recycling program. There are some DO's and DON'Ts for dealing with oil: . Do ask local service stations and . Don't pour oil down storm sewers. motor oil retailers if they accept used oil Many storm sewers end up directly in for recycling. local rivers and lakes, untreated. This will eventually seep into the drinking . Do look for thefcoLogo label and water and could clog lines and pumps. buy recycled motor oil. . Don't pour oil down the drain. Sewage treatment plants aren't equipped to handle waste oil. . Don't pour oil on other waste and put it with your regular garbage for col- lection. Garbage facilities often do not have adequate liners to stop seepage into the water table. . Don't burn oil or any other haz- ardous waste in your fireplace. The rela- tively low burning temperatures will release harmful substances into the air. . Do contact your municipality for direction on how to dispose of used oil in your community. Perhaps, they have an “CAM Mum 3m Just call Countrywide 'riita"iiiiiii'iLtf 'surs,s"mo _c--i A S I 93,000 Txrr6, MSG In"! -Imrt'w MI AMT moan Mt KNOX An Environmental Canada document entitled a Primer on Waste Management indicates that every year 16.5 million litres of used oil end up in municipal landfills in Canada, and another four mil- lion litres are poured directly into storm sewers. (This is almost half of the vol- ume of oil spilled by the Exxon Valdez). Sewage treatment plants do not destroy most hazardous wastes that are poured down the drains, and hazardous waste, such as oil, can leach into the ground water and the soil. Be a good environ- mental citizen... dispose of oil properly and buy recycled oil for your car. “mm wsem mun- A» I