Responsible Growth * NE Washington has never received a satisfactory answer much less an answer to our question to Merkle Standard of how the massive e-waste generated from its 30,000 machines and other electronic waste is going to be disposed or recycled at the end of its life cycle. The life cycle can be anywhere from 1.8 years to 4-5 years. Regardless of the lifecycle the machines will at some point become out dated, beyond repair, and need to be trashed and/or parts recycled. There is a world wide problem when it comes to toxic e-waste and it’s disposal and now it’s become a Pend Oreille County problem.

“When e-waste is mixed with other trash, it ends up in a landfill or is incinerated. Either way, the toxic elements that lie within it are released. These can include mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic, beryllium, thallium, bromine flame retardants, chlorofluorocarbons, hydrochlorofluorocarbons, and more. They seep into the ground, polluting it and, eventually, the large bodies of water they make their way to, causing contamination of the food chain and drinking water. And in being burned, e-waste releases the carcinogenic gas dioxin.”