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The response was so overwhelming at the Burnet County HHW event on Oct. 16 that at one point, the line for the collection event stretched for about two miles along CR 963. Photos by Janice Buechler/The Highlander -
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Despite the trek and wait time, Burnet County residents participated in large numbers Oct. 16 to dispose of household hazardous waste and potentially toxic materials during a collection event.
“It was record setting,” Pct. 4 Burnet County Commissioner Joe Don Dockery said.
Residents deposited materials for the Burnet County Household Hazardous Waste Collection at the Burnet County Reuse and Recycle Center, 2411 CR 963, just outside Burnet.
Pct. Commissioner Jim Luther Jr. spent the entire day at the event, assisting with collections and coordinating volunteers.
“At one point the traffic wound backed from the recycling center on 963 to 281 (approximately two miles of traffic),” he added. “There’s quite a few folks who hung onto items since our last event.”
Officials counted at least 400 vehicles from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.
“At 1 p.m. we still had a line, but we were able to get all those folks through,” Luther explained. “Once we figured out that the volume was so great, we streamlined our intake.”
Several stations at the site collected everything from electronics and batteries to scrap metal and latex- and oil-based paints.
Officials estimated the cost of the event could reach as much as $100,000 compared to the 2018 event which cost approximately $70,000, Dockery said.
In 2019, officials hosted a smaller collection effort for batteries, oil, paint, antifreeze, tires and electronics (BOPATE), minus chemicals.
During the Saturday effort, the county contracted with TCEQ-licensed Green Earth company, who had chemists on site, to catalog and monitor items.
“Everything is either recycled or disposed of properly,” Dockery explained. “They are required to provide a manifest to show that.”
The group will present the final documents to the county to archive.
To fund the event, the county reached out to area cities and entities such as the Central Texas Groundwater Conservation District (CTGCD).
“We solicit funds for all the municipalities and the groundwater district; The smaller cities might contributed $500,” Dockery said. “That’s helpful but kind of a drop in the bucket for some thing of this scope.”
Cities, including Burnet and Marble Falls contributed $5,000 each.
“The county is the backstop financially for the excess,” he said.
Burnet County participates by paying personnel to work and relied on volunteers and donations.
“All of the municipalities – they not only participated financially but provided volunteers and employees to help with the event,” Dockery said.
Due to the overwhelming response from the public, CTGCD board members on Oct. 18 increased their allotment from $10,000 to $25,000.
Luther noted that volunteer and community support made a difference. Approximately $835 came in the form of donations from residents.
“We did have a lot of people who came through to ask if we needed volunteers,” Luther said.
Dockery added, “We had people who not only helped us financially but came out and put feet on the ground.”
Despite an occasional mattress or old carpet which could not be accepted, participation assisted in an effective operation.
“Some of this to is a reflection of new residents in Burnet County,” Dockery said. “Everybody understands that the Highland Lakes are our greatest resource.
“It’s imperative that we protect our service and our ground water,” he added “We appreciate the citizens of Burnet County being proactive about disposing of chemicals properly.”
“We had people who not only helped us financially but came out and put feet on the ground.”
— Joe Don Dockery
Burnet County Pct. 4
Commissioner