The INDEPENDENT, July 15, 2010
Page 15
Paint “take-back” program starts
The young people in Vernonia immediately began enjoying the new Squeaky Wheels Skate-
board and Bike Park. The park is currently in a temporary location by the high school. The
new park, sponsored by the Vernonia Lions Club, was dedicated on July 4.
Oregon Zoo raises 2nd Tuesday price
Beginning July 13, the ad-
mission price for the Oregon
Zoo’s popular Second Tuesday
discount program went from $2
to $4. Children 2 and under will
continue to be admitted free.
The zoo began its reduced-
admission program in 2004, of-
fering discounted tickets on the
second Tuesday of each
month. The nominal increase
will help relieve budgetary
pressures brought about by a
slow economy. The zoo contin-
ues to welcome record num-
bers of visitors, officials say, but
guests have not been spending
as much as they have in previ-
ous years.
The Second Tuesday pro-
gram aims to make the zoo ac-
cessible to as many people as
possible, zoo officials say.
“We remain committed to
providing a reduced admission
program,” said Kim Smith, Ore-
gon Zoo director. “Unfortunate-
ly, the economic times we live
in are having an unprecedent-
ed impact on our budget. We
are dedicated to providing ex-
cellent animal care and contin-
ually seek ways to improve our
guests’ experience.”
“We want to encourage envi-
ronmental stewardship by get-
ting people out of their cars,”
Smith said. “And if people take
a TriMet bus or MAX to the zoo,
they can take an additional
Wash. Co. volunteer opportunity
From page 12
recommendations to the Board
on comprehensive plan and
community development ordi-
nances. The length of term is
four years. No member may
serve more than two consecu-
tive terms.
The application deadline is
August 17, or when all vacan-
cies are filled. Applications may
be obtained by visiting the web-
site or by calling 503-846-8685.
Descriptions of all the boards
can also be found on the Coun-
ty’s Boards and Commissions
website at www.co.washing
ton.or.us
$1.50 off their $4 admission.
Getting into the zoo for $2.50,
while helping the environment
is a win-win.”
Other zoo values that are
not limited to the second Tues-
day of each month include a 20
percent discount on admission
and train rates for any group of
20 or more paying visitors,
when one payment is made for
the entire purchase. School
group rates, with advance
reservations, are available for
$3 per student. Zoo member-
ship rates begin at $49, which
includes unlimited year-round
admission.
The zoo’s Second Tuesday
See Zoo on page 15
The Oregon Department of
Environmental Quality (DEQ)
has approved a plan that sets
in motion the first paint product
stewardship “take-back” pro-
gram in the nation. The Paint-
Care program, which officially
begins July 1 and is funded by
paint manufacturers, allows
consumers to return unused
paint to participating retailers
and other sites for proper dis-
posal. The pilot program is ex-
pected to collect as much as
600,000 gallons of leftover
paint annually in Oregon, and
is expected to be rolled out na-
tionally.
The program stems from the
Oregon Paint Product Steward-
ship law, passed by the 2009
Oregon Legislature. The law di-
rected manufacturers of paints
sold in Oregon to set up and
run “a convenient, statewide
system” for the collection of
post-consumer latex and oil-
based paint. The new program
is the result of a national agree-
ment facilitated by the non-
profit Product Stewardship In-
stitute, Inc. (PSI), which con-
vened paint manufacturers, re-
tailers, contractors, recyclers
and government officials to
jointly develop an environmen-
tally sound and economically
efficient solution to the leftover
paint problem.
The American Coatings As-
sociation, a trade organization
for paint manufacturers, creat-
ed the non-profit organization
PaintCare to administer the
program. Consumers will pay
for the program by paying a
surcharge on paint and stain
containers. PaintCare, in turn,
will provide a series of depots
statewide where people can
drop off unused paint. Paint-
Care pays an administrative
fee to DEQ ($10,000 for sub-
mittal of the program plan and
$10,000 annually thereafter) on
behalf of manufacturers for
plan approval and program en-
forcement/oversight.
State Farm ®
Providing Insurance and Financial Services
Home Office, Bloomington, Illinois 61710
Bunny Girt, Agent
1229 N. Adair
PO Box 543
Cornelius, OR 97113-0543
Bus 503-357-3131 Fax 503-357-9667
bunny.girt.b71g@statefarm.com
“The paint industry has com-
mitted to properly managing
leftover paint in Oregon, and
we are ready to step up and as-
sume that responsibility,” said
Alison Keane, Counsel for the
American Coating Association.
“We appreciate being able to
work with DEQ and PSI to bring
significant environmental and
financial benefits to communi-
ties around Oregon.”
“Getting this law passed
took a tremendous amount of
cooperation from industry, gov-
ernment, and other stakehold-
ers, and it is exciting to see all
the hard work finally pay off,”
said Scott Cassel, Executive
Director of the Product Stew-
ardship Institute. “Oregon DEQ
had clear goals in mind and
persistently worked with the
paint industry to develop a vi-
able plan.”
Vernonia Hardware and
Supply, 1026 Bridge St, Ver-
nonia, is a participating “take-
back” location. The complete,
approved Oregon Paint Stew-
ardship Pilot Program Plan is
available on DEQ’s paint prod-
uct stewardship webpage at:
http://www.deq.state.or.us/lq
/sw/prodstewardship/paint.htm.
The page also lists participat-
ing retailers and brands in the
PaintCare program. For more
information about the paint in-
dustry’s PaintCare program, in-
cluding drop-off locations for
the Oregon program, go to the
PaintCare
website
at:
www.paintcare.org.
G OOD F OOD
G OOD F RIENDS
G OOD T IMES
831 Bridge St.
Vernonia, OR
503-429-0214