Close calls at Lawrencetown recycling facility

By Lawrence Powell

Spectator

NovaNewsNow.com

Valley Waste Resource Management had a few close calls last week after several dozen shotgun shells made their way from curbside to the Western Management Centre in Lawrencetown creating a potentially explosive situation for workers there.

But that wasn’t the only dangerous situation. “On Tuesday morning our staff observed smoke coming from a pile of garbage within our building,” said Andrew Garrett, VWRM communications coordinator. “After moving the materials to get to the source, a fire broke out requiring us to call in the fire department to extinguish.”

Garrett said it is believed the fire was started from hot stove ashes that were not fully distinguished before being placed curbside for collection.

Later that same day, at the same site, a couple dozen live shotgun shells were found mixed in a load of materials collected during the fall cleanup. “Luckily they were found and safely removed,” said Garrett. “We were very fortunate the ammunition was not with the materials that caught fire -- but the potential risk is always present.”

Garrett referred to the fire and live ammunition as serious incidents about which the public should be educated. Information about proper disposal methods can be found in Valley Waste Resource’s annual calendar and at their website: www.vwrm.com.