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Warning: Our shop's old chemical dump spot got flagged by the city last month.
Back in the day, we just poured used fixer and developer down the drain without a second thought. It was normal to toss dead mercury batteries from light meters right in the trash. I remember my old boss telling me it was fine because everyone did it. Now, looking back, I feel a bit bad about all that stuff going into the ground. Last month, the city checked our old disposal area and found traces of silver and other junk. It was a real wake-up call to how our trade has to clean up its act. These days, we use safer cleaners and send parts out for proper recycling. It's more steps, but knowing we're not harming the planet makes the extra effort worth it.
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gibson.troy6mo ago
About that city check finding traces in your old dump spot, we dealt with the same mess last year. Start with a proper soil test (our initial cheap one missed a lot, so go for the full package). Then, get quotes from a few remediation companies, because prices vary wildly for hauling away contaminated dirt. Keeping open communication with the city inspector really helped us avoid extra fines.
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patricia_hill606mo ago
Our homeowner's insurance covered part of our cleanup, check your policy details.
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dakotaclark6mo ago
Wow my friend's insurance covered their soil test too, saved them a ton.
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max_patel15mo ago
I read a local news piece about a dry cleaner that faced huge fines for similar ground contamination. Gibson.troy is right about getting the full soil test, because that article said partial tests can miss the worst spots. It's smart to handle it right the first time even if it costs more upfront.
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