The Centralia Police Department is collecting too many drugs for its portable incinerator.
“Unfortunately, it does not work for our volume,” retiring Chief Bob Berg said at the Tuesday night Centralia Council meeting, asking for councilors to declare it surplus.
The Drug Terminator brand incinerator is used not only for seized drugs, but also for drugs collected at the drug drop-off receptacle in front of Centralia City Hall.
The department collects 1,200 to 1,300 pounds of drugs annually at the drop site, emptying the bin sometimes three times per week.
Incineration requires two employees to handle and incinerate the drugs.
It is less costly to take the drugs from the agency’s property room to Morton’s Stericycle Inc., a biohazard waste disposal company, Berg said.
The incinerator was purchased in 2010 for $4,250 with drug seizure funds.
Councilors approved surplusing the incinerator and eight seized and undercover vehicles.
