Despite coming to a temporary halt when potentially explosive substances were brought to the site, the Centre County Recycling and Refuse Authority disposed of nearly 48,000 pounds of household hazardous waste during its annual collection event last weekend.
A total of 848 vehicles brought hazardous items to the free drop-off on Friday and Saturday, with patrons noting the speed and efficiency with which the event was handled, according to the CCRRA.
“We were happy to wrap up Earth Month with this valued community event,” Mimi Cooper, CCRRA recycling coordinator, said in a statement. “Between the Green Community Partnership Luncheon, Watershed Clean Up Day and now our Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event, we are trying to do our part to help keep Centre County a clean, green and safe place to live.”
The event at the CCRRA facility on Transfer Road in College Township was temporarily shut down at about 1:40 p.m. on Friday afternoon when MXI, the contracted vendor for the event, identified potentially explosive materials. Centre Region HazMat and the Penn State bomb squad responded to the scene.
“Two bottles of diaethylaether diethyl ether and another containing sulfuric acid were deemed unstable by Centre Region HAZMAT team and were safely disposed of on site several hours later,” the authority wrote in a news release.
Technicians used a counter charge explosive to detonate the materials, resulting in a blast that could be felt nearby. The collection event resumed as scheduled on Saturday, and those who registered for appointments on Friday were welcomed to drop off materials any time during the final day.
CCRRA staff thanked MXI and the first responders for their work identifying and handling the materials.
“There are unknown substances like this in many homes, garages and outbuildings,” CCRRA Executive Director Ted Onufrak said in a statement. “We don’t expect residents to be able to identify every explosive substance but if you have any doubts please contact us. What happened Friday is exactly the reason we hold this event. If residents had put some of these materials out for regular trash collection, trash haulers, authority employees and even bystanders could have been seriously injured. Similarly, first responders arriving at these residences for another emergency would also be at risk.”
Other potentially volatile materials, such as calcium carbide and acetylene, were also brought in by residents. According to CCRRA, these materials are “are expensive to dispose of properly and pose a hazard to anyone who may encounter them,” so the annual Household Hazardous Waste Collection provides an opportunity for residents to dispose of them safely.
The event costs approximately $100,000 and is incorporated into CCRRA’s fees for recycling and municipal waste disposal services. It is co-sponsored by CCRRA and the state departments of environmental protection and agriculture.
CCRRA will hold its next Household Hazardous Waste Collection in the spring of 2025.
