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FT. MYERS - The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) along with
the Southern Waste Information eXchange, Inc. (SWIX) and Bass Pro Shops of Ft. Myers collected more
than 950 pounds of old or unwanted ammunition last weekend at an ammunitions collection event in Ft.
Myers. The state of Florida Fire Marshal?s Office also provided assistance. This marked the fourth
year DEP has co-sponsored the event, but the first time it was held in the Ft. Myers area.
?Improper disposal of ammunition has potential environmental, health and safety risks,? said Mary
Jean Yon, Director of DEP?s Division of Waste Management. ?This event made it easy for hunters and
other residents to safely remove potentially dangerous ammunition from their homes and prevent it
from ending up in Florida?s landfills.?
The proper disposal of old or unwanted ammunition can save lives by preventing it from getting
into the hands of young children, and can also help protect the environment by keeping lead and
other contaminants from seeping into the groundwater.
Gene Jones, Executive Director of SWIX, first proposed holding a pilot collection event in 2005
in Tallahassee, after he was unable to find a place to properly and safely dispose of some old
ammunition that he had in his home.
?I realized that a mechanism is needed where people can dispose of old and unwanted ammunition in
an appropriate manner,? said Jones. ?We have experienced a lot of success over the last three years,
collecting nearly 5,000 pounds of old and/or unwanted ammunition just in Tallahassee alone. We are
pleased to be able to hold the first ever collection event in Ft. Myers thanks to funding assistance
from DEP.?
Items that were collected from 92 participants include: 547 pounds of shotgun shells, 340 pounds
of bullets, 56 pounds of flares, and 10 pounds of gun powder and black powder.
DEP and SWIX will be holding other ammunitions collection events around the state later this
year. For more information about the ammunitions collection vents, contact SWIX at 1-800-441-7949
or e-mail info@swix.ws.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is the state?s principal environmental
agency, created to protect, conserve and manage Florida?s environment and natural resources. DEP
enforces federal and state environmental laws, protects Florida?s air and water quality, cleans up
pollution, regulates solid waste management, promotes pollution prevention and acquires
environmentally-sensitive lands for preservation. The agency also maintains a statewide system of
parks, trails and aquatic preserves.
For more information on solid waste disposal and recycling, please visit DEP?s Web site at
www.dep.state.fl.us/waste.
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2012 State of Florida