More Time, More Money to Reopen Hazardous Waste Facility
RICHLAND---The hazardous waste facility in Richland took seconds to go up in flames and hours to put out. But it will take months to rebuild.
KEPR Action News discovered it will be months before a new facility will emerge and the city doesn't have all the money to pay for it.
Wednesday, the city told us insurance only covers about $188,000 of the damage, but only after the city pays a $25,000 deductible.
Plus, the city plans to build a facility that will cost more than the original-- which it says was only temporary. We asked, but the city says it doesn’t have a figure yet.
Meanwhile, it has discontinued taking all hazardous waste, except propane tanks, batteries and electronic waste.
The city has also identified three locations for people to take their used oil: Auto Zone of George Washington Way, Schucks O’Reilley Auto Parts on Jadwin, and the Wal-Mart off of Queensgate.
An employee at Schucks O’Reilley says he’s already noticed some people breaking the rules and disregarding the “no dumping” sign on the store’s back door. He says the store usually gets bottles of oil in the back every two months. Now he’s seeing it every day.
If you follow the rules, you can take care of some of your waste. But getting rid of other stuff will be more difficult. Action News checked with Waste Management in Kennewick. Before the fire it only took paint. But now it can’t even take that because it hauls all of the paint it collects to Richland’s hazardous waste facility.
The Benton City and Prosser satellite waste sites have also stopped taking hazardous waste until further notice. And Richland’s Solid Waste Manager says he even checked with a Pasco waste company, but the company won’t take waste from the public.
Today Action News also learned the official cause of the fire is undetermined.
Assistant Fire Marshal, Jim Jordan says that's because the fire and firefighting efforts combined destroyed any chance to know for sure. But officials do not believe it was cause by arson or a tossed cigarette.
KEPR Action News discovered it will be months before a new facility will emerge and the city doesn't have all the money to pay for it.
Wednesday, the city told us insurance only covers about $188,000 of the damage, but only after the city pays a $25,000 deductible.
Plus, the city plans to build a facility that will cost more than the original-- which it says was only temporary. We asked, but the city says it doesn’t have a figure yet.
Meanwhile, it has discontinued taking all hazardous waste, except propane tanks, batteries and electronic waste.
The city has also identified three locations for people to take their used oil: Auto Zone of George Washington Way, Schucks O’Reilley Auto Parts on Jadwin, and the Wal-Mart off of Queensgate.
An employee at Schucks O’Reilley says he’s already noticed some people breaking the rules and disregarding the “no dumping” sign on the store’s back door. He says the store usually gets bottles of oil in the back every two months. Now he’s seeing it every day.
If you follow the rules, you can take care of some of your waste. But getting rid of other stuff will be more difficult. Action News checked with Waste Management in Kennewick. Before the fire it only took paint. But now it can’t even take that because it hauls all of the paint it collects to Richland’s hazardous waste facility.
The Benton City and Prosser satellite waste sites have also stopped taking hazardous waste until further notice. And Richland’s Solid Waste Manager says he even checked with a Pasco waste company, but the company won’t take waste from the public.
Today Action News also learned the official cause of the fire is undetermined.
Assistant Fire Marshal, Jim Jordan says that's because the fire and firefighting efforts combined destroyed any chance to know for sure. But officials do not believe it was cause by arson or a tossed cigarette.
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