BOPAE event a success
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In spite of storms earlier Saturday morning, 221 vehicles came to the Keep Morristown-Hamblen Beautiful’s Spring Clean-Up event at Hamblen County Landfill.
Of the 221 vehicles that came to the clean-up, around 45 brought items to the hazardous waste station.
Among the preliminary results provided by KMHB Executive Director Becky Jo Moles, there were 20.85 tons of tires brought in, 1.91 tons of oil and latex paints and 4,280 pounds of computers, microwave ovens and televisions. BOPAE items include automotive and rechargeable batteries, used oil, antifreeze and electronics. Fluorescent light bulbs were also accepted.
There were also 3,800 pounds of paper shredded on site, an increase from 3,000 pounds shredded last year.
Moles said that a couple of factors figured into the reduced participation of this year’s event.
“The weather and the end of spring break were factors, but I felt like we had a good turnout,” Moles said.
While Moles was impressed with the number of tires brought in, the community still has a long way to go in that regard.
“After the event, I was driving down Sulphur Springs Road and I saw 10 tires on the side of the road,” she said.
The Tennessee Department of Environment and conservation collected household hazardous waste. Hazardous waste is any unwanted or spent household product that can catch fire easily. They accepted household cleaners such as drain cleaners and disinfectants; home maintenance chemicals such as paint thinner; lawn and garden chemicals, including pesticides and fertilizer; automotive additives, such as grease and rust solvents. Pool chemicals were also accepted.
Last year, 104 pounds of batteries, 630 gallons of oil, 6 tons of paint and more than 3 tons of electronics were collected at the spring event.
The next BOPAE event for tires only will be held in the fall. Another event BOPAE event will be held in JTEKT in October.

