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Fort Bliss, Texas, has put into practice a service that has revolutionized hazardous waste management at the installation.
The hazardous waste curbside service, known simply as Curbside, is the brainchild of environmental engineer Ismael Delgado. It began as a pilot program in 2000. Today, Curbside serves customers at 127 waste accumulation points in Texas and New Mexico.
Curbside is a reimbursable service for Soldiers, Army civilians and tenants. Customers are served within 72 hours of scheduling an appointment.
Curbside services include pickup and transport to the hazardous waste storage facility, container replacement, courtesy inspections and paperwork assistance. The program also includes a tracking database providing customers with reports of items recycled, wastes processed and disposal costs. The reports are produced annually or at the customer's request.
This program saves Fort Bliss hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. Even more important, Curbside minimizes accidents and exposure to hazardous substances. It eliminates waste management duties for almost 250 people, and by helping to track waste generation, the program assists in the budget process.
Curbside costs for the new year are based on quantities of waste generated during the previous year.
All Fort Bliss waste generators voluntarily subscribe to the service.
Additionally, as a large-quantity generator and the owner of a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act-permitted storage facility, Fort Bliss is required to reduce the volume and toxicity of generated hazardous waste. To that end, the Directorate of Environment was able to combine Curbside with pollution prevention initiatives to launch the installation's Sustainability Center.
The Sustainability Center offers parts-washer solvent distillation, parts-washer maintenance, antifreeze recycling, oily rag compaction, soil consolidation, fluorescent bulb crushing, oil and fuel filter crushing and recycling, aerosol can puncturing, spill kit specification and assembly, and drum washing and reuse.
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