Pennsylvania County Sees Strong Mercury Collection Levels

Environmental Protection Northwest Regional Director Kelly Burch announced that residents of Venango County turned in more than 45 pounds of mercury during this week’s voluntary mercury collection, the first of its kind conducted in the county.

“Both the environment and public health will benefit from the removal of this highly toxic pollutant from homes and schools,” Burch said. “The Venango Conservation District demonstrated leadership and concern for the quality of life by working with us to carry out the collection. The local/state partnership was successful in creating a safe, no-cost way for residents and school administrators to safely dispose of mercury.”

DEP and the conservation district coordinated the June 30 mercury collection. Residents and schools contacted the county prior to the collection date to schedule a pickup appointment; DEP conducted the door-to-door collection.

“The collection was a success and we thank the people of Venango County who took seriously information about the dangers of mercury and responded by taking the time to look around their schools and homes,” Venango Conservation District Manager Marc Rickard said. “A significant amount of the collection was elemental mercury stored in glass jars and other containers. Getting those containers out of circulation reduces the potential for future spills.”