Drop Off Location for Household Hazardous Waste and Large Appliances from Typhoon Soudelor Cleanup

Drop Off Location for Household Hazardous Waste and Large

Appliances from Typhoon Soudelor Cleanup

Beginning September 11, 2015, on Fridays and Saturdays at old Kobler Air Field

SAIPAN, CNMI – A new drop-off location for household hazardous waste, large appliances (white goods) and electronics, run by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in cooperation with CNMI Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality, will begin on Friday, September 11.  Residents can bring their household hazardous waste, white goods and electronics damaged as a result of Typhoon Soudelor to the old Kobler Air Field (near As Gono green waste drop off station) on Fridays and Saturdays in September, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.  EPA will also continue to collect household hazardous waste at the Lower Base Transfer Station, Monday to Saturday, 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM.  Once the EPA collection operations are complete, normal disposal activities will resume and residents will be responsible for the disposal of these white goods and electronics. 

FEMA and CNMI have called on the EPA to implement a program to collect and properly manage household hazardous chemicals and materials.  This program is intended to collect materials damaged as a result of Typhoon Soudelor.  Household hazardous waste includes cleaners, pesticides, lawn and garden products, workshop and paint supplies, automotive supplies, batteries, solvents, thermometers, fluorescent lights, and flammable products such as oil, gas and propane.  Another way to identify household hazardous waste is from labels that say things like: Caution, Warning, Danger, Poison, Toxic, Flammable, or Corrosive. Improper disposal of these materials increases the risk of contaminating air, water and soil.  For example, materials placed in drains flow directly to septic tanks or sewage treatment plants or directly into the ocean, polluting the ocean and potentially harming sensitive coral reefs.

The collection area will also be accepting white goods and electronic wastes.  White goods include refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, stoves, ovens, microwave ovens, water heaters, washers and dryers. Televisions, computers and other electronics can also be dropped off. Residents may call CNMI BECQ at 670-664-8500 with drop-off questions.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.