State Grant Helps City with Disposal of Used Motor Oil

Communications Director

Kristin Farley
[email protected]
(865) 215-2589

400 Main St., Room 691
Knoxville, TN 37902

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State Grant Helps City with Disposal of Used Motor Oil

Posted: 12/22/2014
December 22, 2014 - The City of Knoxville has been awarded a $14,600 grant from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation - part of more than $400,000 dedicated to better collection of used vehicle motor oil across the state.

"Used Motor Oil Collection Grants encourage cities and counties to establish collection centers where people can dispose of their used motor oil, which helps prevent pollution of our lakes, streams and groundwater," said TDEC Commissioner Bob Martineau.

Tennesseans who change their own motor oil in their vehicles generate more than 1 million gallons of used oil each year, which can pollute soil and water and interfere with the operation of sewer systems when not properly disposed, according to TDEC.

The City of Knoxville will be purchasing equipment - a tank, canopy, pad, heater, pump and absorbent – to be set up at the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center at the City's Solid Waste Management Facility at West Baxter and Elm streets. The facility currently accepts used oil from Knoxville and Knox County residents for free.

The tank, canopy, absorbent and pad will be an upgrade to the current equipment in use. The heater and pump will be used to augment winter heating in the collection center by using part of any unwanted clean oil that is collected and offsetting the building heating costs, said John Homa, the City's Solid Waste Project Manager.

"We're pleased and grateful that TDEC recognizes the dangers of improper disposal of motor oils and awarded us this grant," Homa said. "We're eager to expand our used oil collection infrastructure, and we'll be making it much easier for do-it-yourselfers to properly dispose of their oil."

The non-matching state grant does not require any City funding.

The Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center is open Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays (7 a.m.-4 p.m.); Wednesdays (7 a.m.-noon); and Saturdays (8 a.m.-noon).