EPA to Phase Out Household Hazardous Waste Collection in Puerto Rico

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), along with local municipalities, the government of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, has been hard at work for the past few months cleaning up debris and waste generated by Hurricane Maria.

The groups have made significant process via curbside pickup and household waste collection days. To date, they have collected a total of nearly one quarter of a million items. The volume of material being collected has decreased greatly since the cleanup efforts began, so the household hazardous waste collection services will come to an end on April 13 and special one-day collection events in select locations will be held through April 22.

“The EPA’s work is transitioning from immediate response to long-term recovery and our household hazardous waste program throughout Puerto Rico has helped many people properly dispose of potentially hazardous items they may have stored in their homes,” said EPA Regional Administrator Pete Lopez in a statement. “The success of this program is a good illustration of the importance of cooperation and coordination in all levels of government to work toward a common goal: protecting the health of the people of Puerto Rico.”

Until the collection services and events end, the EPA will be accepting household hazardous waste like aerosol cans, household cleaners and paint, electronics like computers and televisions, abandoned or “orphan” containers like drums, tanks, containers and cylinders and domestic hazardous materials like batteries. The EPA stresses that these items should not be discarded with regular trash because they can contaminate the land, bodies of water and groundwater.