DEC Schedules Albany-Area Pharmaceutical Collection Event

ALBANY, NY (02/04/2010)(readMedia)-- Staff from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will be at the Empire State Plaza in Albany on March 3 to collect unused and unwanted pharmaceuticals from area residents for proper disposal, Commissioner Pete Grannis announced today. The collection is slated for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the bus station on the concourse level of the Plaza and is part of DEC's ongoing "Don't Flush Your Drugs" campaign to raise awareness about the impacts of household drugs on water quality.

Recent reports have shown that an array of medicines are showing up in the rivers, streams and drinking water supplies of a number of American cities. Although the concentrations of the pharmaceuticals are small - far below typical medical doses - studies have found negative impacts on aquatic life and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has acknowledged the issue is a serious concern. New York State has been a leading voice in efforts to encourage people to keep pharmaceuticals out of public waterways.

"The discovery of trace amounts of prescription and over-the-counter drugs in state waterways is an emerging environmental issue and the consequences are not yet clear," Commissioner Grannis said. "New Yorkers can help out by not flushing their unused drugs and instead use alternate disposal methods. Offering local collection events is one way DEC is helping to get the word out to help protect our water supplies."

Staff from DEC's Pollution Prevention Unit and Environmental Conservation Officers will be on hand for the collection event at the Plaza (http://www.ogs.state.ny.us/plaza/Directions.asp ). Sharps and mercury thermometers will not be collected. For more information on the Albany pharmaceutical collection event or for assistance in planning a pharmaceutical collection event contact DEC's Dennis Lucia at (518) 402-9469.

To learn more about the issue, go to DEC's web site, http://www.dontflushyourdrugs.net, which provides detailed instructions and suggestions for properly disposing pharmaceuticals, a list of frequently asked questions about the issue and a range of Internet links regarding ongoing studies and actions.