Ocean County freeholders urge residents to properly care for gasoline and household chemicals

Lessons learned from Superstorm Sandy took center stage at a recent meeting of the Ocean County Mayors Association. At the forefront of the conversation was the topic of properly storing gasoline and household chemicals in garages and storage sheds to avoid their being washed away in a flood and creating a severe environmental hazard.

Photo via VPPSA
Household chemicals are best stored
on shelves, above the ground.

Joseph Vicari, Ocean County freeholder director, mentioned gasoline cans, motor oil, pesticides and pool and lawn chemicals are often stored in garages and sheds. Although this may seem like the proper place to keep such items, Vicari raised the point that these containers can be damaged and carried away during a flood, causing “widespread environmental damage.” Gasoline cans and other hazardous containers were found strewn about in areas damaged by Sandy’s floodwaters, he added.

“Even if a home is raised on pilings, these chemicals are often left in garages at ground level. A simple solution is to store these materials on shelves well above the floor,” Vicari said in a news release.

To help protect the environment, Freeholder James Lacey encouraged residents to participate in the county’s free, twice-yearly Household Hazardous Waste disposal program. The program accepts a variety of household chemicals ranging from paint cans to pesticides. The program has many collection points set up in local municipalities. The county collected and safely disposed of more than 235,600 pounds of waste last year, Lacey said. Locations and dates for the 2014 program will be released later this year.

— Kelley Anne Essinger


This article was published in The SandPaper.