July 2018 - Parks & Recreation - 80

OPERATIONS

The EPA-Compliant Way to
Dispose of Fluorescent Lamps
By Bobby Farris

P

ark and recreation facilities provide a safe space for people to
interact in a wide variety of activities. And with the arrival of
the warmer summer months, more people are staying out later
to take full advantage of recreational areas, such as tennis courts,
playgrounds and running trails. During the summer, public spaces must
be illuminated for longer hours to provide increased visibility and safety
for patrons, and park and recreation facilities must manage their operating
expenses responsibly while providing pleasant programs and opportunities
to their communities.

Park and recreation facilities
use many more bulbs than the
average home, and by federal
law, non-residential fluorescent
bulb users are required to follow
specific guidelines to dispose of
their spent lamps.

78

Parks & Recreation

| J U LY 2 0 1 8 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

Fluorescent lamps are the backbone of efficient lighting for many
recreation complexes. Fluorescent
lamps, HIDs and sodium lighting
provide strong, consistent illumination for several applications. Used
in outdoor lighting for basketball
courts, sports fields and parking
lots, the familiar lamps are an important part of operations. While
park supervisors have started to

make the move to higher efficiency, long-life LED lighting, most
non-residential, high-output lamps
still contain mercury. So, what is
the proper way to dispose of these
lamps when they have come to the
end of their practical life?
Improper Disposal
For households, the EPA recommends boxing up fluorescent lamps
and waiting for proper waste collection services to pick them up or
dropping them off at a household
hazardous waste facility. Park and
recreation facilities use many more
bulbs than the average home, and
by federal law, non-residential fluorescent bulb users are required to
follow specific guidelines to dispose
of their spent lamps. However, recently, several state and national
parks have been cited for improper
handling of their spent fluorescent
lamps. Whether tossing the bulbs
in the solid municipal waste dumpster or burying the lamps on location, the improper disposal of used
bulbs has become an environmental problem.
The mercury contained within the lamps is the issue. While
perfectly safe when the lamp is in
operation, mercury is a dangerous
toxin if it comes into contact with
people, animals, air and water. The
amount of mercury contained in a
small, household thermometer is
enough to completely contaminate
two Olympic-size swimming pools.
A few broken fluorescent lamps on
park grounds can contaminate the



July 2018 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July 2018 - Parks & Recreation

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