EPA Collecting Household Hazardous Waste Generated by Sandy

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other government departments are collecting and disposing of potentially hazardous household waste products from New York homes in New York City and Nassau County damaged by flooding from Superstorm Sandy.

The EPA said in a news release it is encouraging the public to put waste products on their curbs, separate from trash, for pickup, including: solvents, paints, cleaners, oil, propane tanks, batteries, petroleum products, weed/bug killers, car batteries, bleach and ammonia. The EPA and its contractors will drive the streets of impacted areas to pick up the household hazardous waste on the curb.

The EPA is working with the Department of Sanitation (DOS) in New York City and and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and Nassau County there.

In New York City the DOS will be picking up white goods, such as refrigerators and other appliances, and will remove the refrigerants from refrigerators, freezers and air conditioners.