[ back ]
Ashland helps to clean school lab
(by Lisa Kintish - April 30, 2008)
Between 400 and 500 containers of obsolete chemicals were cleaned from Boonton High School, clearing the way for the improved science lab that will be built as part of the renovations to the school. Thanks to a local chemical company, the cleanup, which occurred on April 23, is free.
Ashland Inc. is footing the bill, donating $15,000. The chemical company is headquartered in Covington, KY, but its Water Technologies division is based in Boonton. Assisting the school in ridding its second-floor storage area of such things as formaldehyde, hydrochloric acid, and sulfuric acid is all part of its committed effort to help local communities.
Additionally, the company is a member of the American Chemistry Council, which is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Responsible Care ® initiative dedicated to promoting the safe and secure management of chemical products and processes.
John Lazarus, senior account manager with Ashland’s Environmental Services Group, explained that his firm is not in the business of cleaning out school labs, so it contracted a company that is, Veolia Environmental Services, Flanders. A team of four men spent approximately six hours removing the items that are no longer used in high schools, having been replaced by materials considered to be friendlier to the environment.
Each container held anywhere from a couple of grams to a gallon of chemical substance. The chemicals will now be recycled, incinerated, or used for wastewater management, depending on what is appropriate for a particular item. The acids and solvents presented the same level of danger as found in disposing gasoline or drain cleaner.
Because of spring recess, no students were in the building at the time.
Lazarus said, “It went smoothly and all was handled successfully. Now, the school can move forward with its renovation.”
Lisa Kintish can be contacted at kintish@northjersey.com.
[ back ]
