Eight counties | 36 cities | one region

ST. JAMES—Spring cleaning prompts the discarding of old and used up household chemicals that have been lingering around your house for a while. But should these items end up in a landfill? The answer is no. Household hazardous wastes, such as chemical cleaners, batteries, automotive fluids pesticides, oil-based paints and many other items found in basements, under kitchen sinks or dark garages, should be disposed of properly. In the Meramec Region, the Rolla Environmental Services or the St. Robert Transfer Station offer options for the safe disposal of these wastes.

Brady Wilson is director of environmental services at the city of Rolla and chairman of the Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District (ORSWMD) – an organization working to help reduce the amount of waste landfilled in the district.  He encourages all residents to take advantage of the free household hazardous waste programs offered to the district – Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties. The program is for residential individuals only.

“We believe that the proper handling and recycling of household chemicals is crucial to protecting our environment and human health,” Wilson said.  “When these items are improperly disposed of, they find their way into our water, land and air through dumping, flushing, and burning.  Even when disposed of via a trash collection service, they expose workers to many hazards, and ultimately they are buried in a landfill.”

Household hazardous wastes are accepted at the Rolla site by appointment only. To schedule an appointment or for more information on items collected, contact 573-364-6693 or 573-364-9568 during business hours Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

For residents of Pulaski County, the St. Robert transfer station also accepts household hazardous waste by appointments which can be made by calling 573-336-5155 Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

ORSWMD helps in regional recycling efforts, including the promotion of the household hazardous waste program. Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) provides staffing for ORSWMD.

The ORSWMD’s strategy for solid waste reduction, which has been individually adopted by all member governments and approved by Missouri Department of Natural Resources involves education to promote waste reduction, provides community grants for counties, cities, businesses and organizations and encourages recycling. MRPC provides administration of the district and assists with a variety of implementation projects.

For more information about ORSWMD or waste reduction and recycling opportunities in the Ozark Rivers area, contact Tammy Snodgrass, MRPC environmental programs manager, at 573-265-2993 or by email at tsnodgrass@meramecregion.org. Also, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ORSWMD and on the web at www.ozarkrivers.org. MRPC provides the day-to-day administration for Ozark Rivers.

Formed in 1969, MRPC is a voluntary council of governments serving Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Osage, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties and their respective cities. A professional staff of 23, directed by the MRPC board, offers technical assistance and services, such as grant preparation and administration, housing assistance, transportation planning, environmental planning, ordinance codification, business loans and other services to member communities.

To keep up with the latest MRPC news and events, visit the MRPC website at www.meramecregion.org or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/meramecregion/.

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