Household Hazardous Waste Collection June 7
The Charles County Department of Public Works would like to remind citizens that the next household hazardous waste collection will be held on Saturday, June 7. The household hazardous waste collection site is located in the parking lot of the Department of Public Works building, located at 10430 Audie Lane, off of Radio Station Road in La Plata. Collection hours are 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Items accepted free of charge include: pesticides, herbicides, fertilizer, gasoline, oil-based paint, cleaning supplies, pool chemicals, batteries, fluorescent lights, mercury thermometers, and other poisons found in the home. Please remember to mark any container that does not have a readable, original label.
Unacceptable materials include bio-medical waste (sharps, needles, anything with bodily fluids), expired prescription drugs, and ammunition. Used motor oil, anti-freeze, propane tanks, and batteries are accepted on a regular basis at various collection sites. Latex paint is not considered hazardous waste and can be placed in your household trash as long as it is solidified. This can be accomplished by adding kitty litter, shredded paper, or sawdust to the liquid latex paint to aid in drying it out.
Household hazardous waste collection will occur on the first Saturday of each month through December. Upcoming 2014 collection dates are: June 7, July 5, Aug. 2, Sep. 6, Oct. 4, Nov. 1, and Dec. 6.
For more information, call the Charles County Department of Public Works, Environmental Resources Division at 301-932-3599 or 301-870-2778, or the landfill and recycling information line at 301-932-5656. Citizens with special needs may contact the Maryland Relay Service at 711, or Relay Service TDD: 800-735-2258.
June 7 Safe Summer Event Offers Life-Saving Information
Receive a Free Blue Crabs Game Ticket
Make plans to attend the Charles County Safe Summer Day on Saturday, June 7 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Regency Furniture Stadium (11765 St. Linus Drive, Waldorf). This event is hosted by the Charles County Department of Emergency Services, in partnership with University of Maryland Charles Regional Medical Center, Washington Metropolitan Gas, and the Charles County Volunteer Fire and EMS Service. Each year, people of all ages are seriously injured by fireworks; 83 percent of those require treatment in an emergency room. A swimming pool is 14 times more likely than a motor vehicle to be involved in the death of a child age four and under. And according to the US Coast Guard, drowning is the fifth leading cause of accidental death in the US. These numbers are staggering and are growing every year. At the Safe Summer Day, you will learn how to prevent injuries from swimming, biking, and fires.
The Safe Summer Day will feature demonstrations and exhibits such as:
-- Bicycle safety tips and free helmets
-- Teddy bear clinic
-- Blood pressure screenings
-- Safe grilling practices and fire preventions
-- Installation of child care seats
-- Summer heat and cars
-- Safe sleeping habits for infants
-- Boating safety
Each person that attends the June 7 Safe Summer Day event will receive a free ticket to the Blue Crabs game vs. the Long Island Ducks set to begin at 6:35 p.m. that evening.
County Announces Curbside Collection Day Changes
New collection day schedule begins July 1
Charles County’s curbside recycling program will undergo significant routing changes beginning in July. The collection day and/or week will change for approximately 15,000 of the 38,000 residences included in the program. Recycling will continue to be collected every other week and yard waste weekly, April through December.
Changes in collection days are based on a new collection contract that starts July 1, with the goal of improving route efficiency by focusing collection efforts on one area of the county at a time. The curbside collection day change will address the following: unbalanced routes (number of homes per collection vehicle), expansion to a five (5) day collection schedule, and greater efficiency through increased collection efforts.
All recycling and yard waste collections scheduled on or after these six major holidays (New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day) will be delayed one day. No other holidays will affect your collection schedule.
Notices will be mailed to the physical addresses affected by these changes. Calendars will also be mailed to the physical addresses and will include each address’ collection day. Residents that do not receive mail at their physical address are encouraged to contact the Department of Public Works Environmental Resources Division at 301-932-5656 or 301-932-3599 to determine if your collection day will be changed.
For a complete listing of the new collection days or for more information, visit
www.CharlesCountyMD.gov or call 301-932-5656 or 301-932-3599. Citizens with special needs may contact the Maryland Relay Service at 711, or Relay Service TDD: 800-735-2258.
Waldorf Water System Valve Inspections Scheduled
The Charles County Department of Public Works, Utilities Division, in conjunction with GHD, Inc., is conducting a water main gate valve inspection program titled, “Valve-Find, Inspect, Repair, & Exercise” (V-FIRE) for the Waldorf Water Distribution System. The goal of the V-FIRE program is to inspect, actuate, and verify that all valves are operational with a goal of increasing system reliability. Work will be conducted between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday by a dedicated field crew of at least two (2) team members. All team members will have county identification.
Daily work schedules will be posted on
www.charlescountymd.gov/pw/tech_support/v-fire-information .
If inspections are occurring in your area, you may experience momentary drop in water pressure and/or momentary disruption in water service. You may also experience brown water. Please refrain from washing laundry and using excess water during this time. If you do experience brown water please turn on the faucets in the house for several minutes until the water becomes clear. We recommend running the washing machine empty for one cycle before washing clothes.
In addition, many of the water main valves are located in the street or on the shoulder of the street. Please be aware of and approach marked work area with caution for your safety and our field crew’s. Any disruption in traffic should be temporary.
If you have questions or experience a water outage for more than 10 minutes, you may contact Mr. Steve Strobel, Line Maintenance Superintendent, at 301-609-7400.
Please be advised: the field crew has no reason or authorization to enter a private home. Should anyone approach you and request access, they should be denied access and the contact provided above be notified immediately.
If there are any questions or comments related to the field crew’s conduct or procedures, contact Mr. David J. Kerr, GHD Project Manager, at 301-875-7351 or david.kerr [at] ghd.com.
Temporary Indian Head Rail Trail Closures to Begin July 7
Portions of trail will close to public due to water line installation
The Department of Public Works’ Parks Division advises citizens that portions of the Indian Head Rail Trail will be closed to the public temporarily beginning July 2014. Sections of the Indian Head Rail Trail will close during installation of a reclaimed water line that will service the future Competitive Power Ventures (CPV) electrical power plant. Reliable Construction, a contractor hired by CPV, will install the water line.
“Safety is a top priority, and these temporary closures are intended to protect the public, employees, and construction workers from safety hazards associated with construction activities," said Department of Public Works Director Bill Shreve. “We are implementing the closures in phases to minimize disruptions to the public enjoyment of this recreational amenity.”
The first five miles of the Indian Head Rail Trail (from Mattingly Avenue to just west of Bumpy Oak Road) are not affected by the water line installation and will remain open to the public throughout the construction period. Portions of the Indian Head Rail Trail will be closed temporarily according to the following schedule, which is tentative and subject to change:
Monday, July 7 through Sunday, Aug. 3
Bumpy Oak Road to Route 301 (Crain Highway)
Closed to public access Monday through Thursday; Open for public use Friday through Sunday
Monday, Aug. 4
Approx. 2,000 feet west of Bumpy Oak Road to Route 301 (Crain Highway)
Closed to public access until spring 2015
Construction is scheduled to begin Monday, July 7, barring any unforeseen circumstances or delays due to weather. Signs will be posted along the trail to identify closed areas. Please be aware of equipment and contractors on the trail and do not enter closed areas or come within 300 feet of active construction work. No road closures are planned at this time but there may be occasional delays as critical activities are completed. Visitors are asked to be alert for hazards and increased construction vehicle traffic when using these areas.
On average, the CPV power plant will use 3 – 5 million gallons of water per day; about 86 percent of this will be consumed and not discharged into the Potomac River. Also, installation of the water line protects the county’s long-term water reserves by eliminating the need to tap into drinking water aquifers. In addition to being an environmentally friendly neighbor, the CPV power plant is expected to generate more than $100 million in total revenue for the county in the next 20 years.
Maps and closure notices can be found on the Department of Public Works’ Parks Division website:
www.CharlesCountyParks.com. Current information on closures will also be posted on the Parks & Recreation Facebook page,
www.facebook.com/CharlesCountyParksRecreation and on Twitter at
www.twitter.com/CharlesCoMD.
For more information, contact the Department of Public Works’ Parks Division at 301-932-3470 or 301-870-2778. Citizens with special needs may contact the Maryland Relay Service at 711, or Relay Service TDD: 800-735-2258.