Broken Fluorescent Bulbs Containing Mercury Launch Cleanup Efforts for VRF

PRESQUE ISLE, Maine (WAGM) -

Valley Recycling Facility in Frenchville is still cleaning up after a significant number of fluorescent light bulbs containing mercury were disposed of improperly and shattered.

Ray Demoranville, Supervisor of Valley Recycling Facility says any products containing mercury, like fluorescent bulbs must be declared to the facility staff upon arrival, as special care must be taken to ensure they are properly recycled.

“We have special boxes with plastic lining in them and they go in there unbroken. We don’t accept them if they’re broken. And then we mark it down for DEP and then all the boxes get sent out and they recycle them.”

Demoranville says he’s not aware of who improperly disposed of the bulbs is at this time, but they are looking into it. If discovered, they will be on the hook for the bill which is estimated to be 10s of thousands of dollars.

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