MEDIA RELEASE

For the past several years, the county has contracted with Recycle Hawaii for the Used Motor Oil (UMO) Recycling Program that included six sites islandwide, including Big Island Toyota in Hilo and Kona.

This year the state ended the grant program that provided $55K to $65K annually to fund the UMO program. The program was not funded in the current Department of Environmental Management budget.

Recently, the state Department of Health offered a $15K grant for the program, but that amount is insufficient to run the current operation.

Nevertheless, Recycle Hawaii has agreed to continue operating the UMO program at the six sites while seeking other sources of funding to continue operating the program.

The county also provides the option for collection of UMO at regularly scheduled Household Hazardous Waste Collection Events:

* Hilo Recycling & Transfer Station: 1st Saturday of June & December, 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
* Kailua-Kona (Kealakehe) Recycling & Transfer Station: 2nd Saturday of June & December, 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
* Pahoa Recycling & Transfer Station: Sunday, March 4, 2012, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
* Waimea Recycling & Transfer Station: Saturday, March 3, 2012, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
* Waiohinu Recycling & Transfer Station: Saturday, Sept. 3, 2011, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

For more information, contact the Department of Environmental Management’s recycling coordinator Linda Peters at 961-8942.