The following information was taken from Oceana Conservation District August enewsletter:

The annual Household Hazardous Waste Collection in Oceana County will be Aug 17th from 9 am to 1 pm at Hart DPW office. The collection provides an important public service and an opportunity for community residents to responsibly dispose of hazardous materials, thus keeping toxic household chemicals, pharmaceuticals, electronics, and pesticides out of landfills and groundwater.

Please note that certain changes will be necessary for this year’s collection to ensure we have enough funds to cover this year's costs:
    • A 12,000 lb. limit 
    • A shortened time-frame for the event, from 9 am until 1 pm 
    • An increase in the suggested donation per carload, from $5 to $10. It’s important to note that the average cost of disposal per car/truck load is $64!

Due to an increase in participation and significant increases in recycling/disposal costs, the future of the tri-county program may be hindered by lack of sufficient funds. The funding goal for 2019 is $60,000. The HHW committee is still short of that goal by several thousand dollars and is therefore asking residents and businesses to consider supporting the event with an additional donation, which is tax deductible. Click here to donate today! NOTE: this link will send you to the Mason-Lake Conservation District site. The MLCD is the fiduciary that handles the money for hazardous waste collection. All monies are pooled and then shared by Oceana, Mason, and Lake Counties.

The following information was taken from State Senator John Bizon’s recent enewsletter:
Although no human cases of West Nile virus have been detected so far this summer in Michigan, several birds and mosquito pools have tested positive for the infection. West Nile is transmitted to people, horses, and other animals through the bite of a mosquito that has picked up the virus. Outbreaks of West Nile virus have occurred every summer in Michigan since 2002. While most people who become infected will not develop clinical symptoms of illness or will have a mild illness with fever, a small number of people may become more severely ill. In 2018, there were 104 serious illnesses and nine deaths related to West Nile virus in the state. For more information, including signs and symptoms, treatment and prevention, visit www.michigan.gov/westnile. The site also features a weekly summary of West Nile virus activity in the state.