Community Spotlight: Mesa County Hazardous Waste Collection Facility
When you think of Mesa County, it is easy to picture towering sandstone spires, flat-top mountains, green valley bottoms ripe with agriculture, red rock canyons and converging rivers. When you think of Mesa County, it is unlikely that you think about the nearly 620 tons of hazardous waste generated annually by the residents of the most populated county on the Western Slope. Cleaning supplies, fertilizers, lacquers and stains, oil, lightbulbs, batteries and electronic waste contain harmful chemicals that are routinely used by homeowners and businesses; and just as the panoramic landscape is part of our daily view, utilizing these chemical-laden products is part of our daily routine. Proper disposal of such items ensures that Mesa County is a healthy and beautiful community now and into the future.
In 2020, the Mesa County Hazardous Waste Collection Facility (HWCF) is proud to celebrate 20 years of providing a safe and secure drop-off for hazardous waste to Mesa County residents! Each year, thousands of residents participate in diverting regulated substances and otherwise dangerous items through the HWCF. This responsible disposal option helps to prevent pollutants from contaminating our soils, rivers and air.
“We’re here for the health of the community,” emphasizes Teresa Nees, the facility’s manager. “That includes taking into consideration the health of the environment, the long-term sustainability of our landfill, as well as the day-to-day safety of our trash haulers, co-workers and visiting residents.”
As one of only eight hazardous waste collection facilities in Colorado, the Mesa County HWCF accepts most “household hazardous wastes” free of charge from Mesa County residents. Since opening in 2000, the HWCF has properly disposed of over 3,000 tons of household items like weed killers, fertilizers, old gasoline and motor oil, cleaners, pool chemicals, paint and batteries.
"That's over six million pounds of liquids and chemicals that did not go down the drain, did not go into our ditches and will not build-up in the landfill to cause future problems,” Nees reveals.
In 2013, Colorado banned the disposal of electronics in landfills. Non-refrigerant containing appliances, like microwaves and water heaters, can still be taken to the landfill, but items such as computers, video game consoles and televisions must be disposed of elsewhere. This is because electronic waste, also known as ”e-waste,” contains hazardous chemicals like mercury, lead, cadmium, chromium and hazardous fire retardants that cannot be safely disposed of in a landfill. The HWCF accepts all forms of e-waste, but does charge a small disposal fee.
Serving The Community
The HWCF disposal program serves Mesa County residents as well as local small businesses on a weekly basis. Businesses who are considered by the Environmental Protection Agency to be “Very Small Quantity Generators” are able to bring their waste to the HWCF by appointment. These users are charged a minimal waste disposal fee.
"We have long-standing relationships with local retailers, manufacturers and other businesses that produce various forms of hazardous waste. Surprisingly, the VA Hospital and School District 51 are two of our most consistent business customers,” Nees says.
The relationships with public and private entities prove to serve the community through cost-savings and general education regarding hazardous waste management.
As the environmental health and safety manager for School District 51 for the past 17 years, Petie Pope believes the HWCF has been invaluable in providing a local, cost-effective means for hazardous waste disposal. “My position was created due to a directive from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment,” Pope states. “Without the Mesa County Hazardous Waste Collection Facility, it would be a true financial burden for our school district.” The district would have to contract with out-of-county, specialized entities for such disposal.
"Petie Pope has been an advocate for safe chemical management in our school district since the early days of the household hazardous waste [management] and school-clean-outs started,” shares Nees. "He represents our collaborative efforts on the state and national level, and is a wonderful asset for our students and community as a whole.”
A frequent visitor, Pope can safely dispose of “hundreds of gallons of paint, over a thousand pounds of batteries, thousands of mercury fluorescent lights along with waste from science, art, tech-ed and theater classrooms” each school year.
“I have to give kudos to the community partners that had the foresight to propose, develop and implement a sustainable program like this decades ago,” says Nees, “and our current advocates like Petie.”
Nees says the public is "always welcome to come chat about what we do here and ask questions.” With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, outreach and education tours of the HWC Facility have been postponed but Nees adds, “We look forward to giving in-person tours and field trips again in the coming months."
“We’re really happy to be able to serve the community for your business needs or personal life transitions, such as moving or cleaning out estates of loved-ones,” she says. “We’re here for you. We truly are excited about our program. Our employees do a lot of hard work; we are proud to have such a unique feature here in the Grand Valley and to know it makes a difference in the health of our undeniably beautiful forests, waterways and public lands."
Your household hazardous waste can be brought to the Mesa County HWCF every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., and businesses can call to schedule an appointment. For more information stop by, call (970) 256-9543 or visit their website at mesacounty.us/swm.
This spotlight is a sponsored partnership.
