COUNTY WASTE AUTHORITY RECEIVES GRANT

 HARRISBURG, NOV. 16 – State Sen. Connie Williams announced that the Montgomery County Waste Authority had received two grants to reimburse the organization for household hazardous waste collection events held in 2006 and 2007.

 Common items collected during household hazardous waste events include unused or leftover portions of household products containing toxic chemicals, automotive products (such as motor oil, transmission fluid, brake fluid, antifreeze, kerosene and gasoline), paint products (such as paint thinner or turpentine, paint remover, oil based pain, furniture stripper and refinisher), and other hazardous items (such as pesticides/herbicides, lighter fluids, concrete or asphalt sealer and swimming pool chemicals).

 "If any of these items are incorrectly disposed of, they stand a chance of contaminating groundwater or injuring waste management workers and equipment," Williams said. "It is not always easy to figure out how to properly dispose of these items, which is why household hazardous waste collection events are so important."

 Grants were awarded by the Department of Environmental Protection under the Pennsylvania Small Business and Household Pollution Prevention Grant Program to the authority to reimburse it for half of the costs associated with developing and operating collection events.

 Awarded was:

• $100,000 for HHW events held at Abington Middle School, Lower Merion, Penn Valley, Indian Valley Middle School and Horsham High School from July 2006 through May 2007.

• $44,818 for HHW events held at Indian Valley Middle School, Montgomery County Community  College and Lockheed-Martin from April through June 2006.

 Household hazardous waste events for 2007 have ended in Montgomery and Delaware counties. New collection dates will be announced in the spring.