The Grand Island Area Clean Community System Board of Directors Saturday named the Household Hazardous Waste Facility in honor of Betty Curtis.
Curtis was instrumental in creating the facility and fought hard for the permanent location.
Grand Island Mayor Jay Vavricek, Hall County Board of Supervisors chairperson Pam Lancaster and a member of the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality were among those sharing their memories of Curtis' legacy.
Curtis passed away in October 2012, but members of the community say she's left a lasting impression.
Curtis was the executive director of the Clean Community System for 30 years and well-known throughout the state for her contributions toward a cleaner and safer environment.
"The facility will be more important as the future goes on," said Katherine Kerner, a program specialist with the DEQ. "Her [Betty's] endeavor to have the Household Hazardous Waste facility -- not just in Hall County and Grand Island, but it expands to the surrounding areas -- she was the first to do it and has led other programs to follow her example."
The building was adopted and "recycled" by the Clean Community System two years ago, but the organization has been around for 30 years. They've contributed to the safe removal of nearly 2 million pounds of household hazardous waste.
Members said the dangers of improper disposal may not immediately be observed, but they have the potential to cause physical injury to sanitation workers, contaminate septic tanks or wastewater.
"It's the common things you find in the home, whether it be chemicals, rat poisons, automotive chemicals, pesticides, fertilizers," Dwight Walton, president of the Clean Community System Board, said.
The facility is open for household hazardous waste collection every Monday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and every first and third Saturday if the month from 8 a.m. to noon.
Because of budgetary restrictions, electronics can be recycled for a fee of .30 cents per pound, with the exception of monitors which are $12 each.
