Its upholstery is home to a nest of mice and a family of sparrows sunbathe on the hood.
Abandoned cars may be a prime spot for critters to shack up, but they are harmful to the environment.
“Abandoned vehicles are a problem county-wide,” said Brian Rader, Pollution Prevention Specialist for San Juan County. “Too often, when our island cars stop running, it seems too expensive or too difficult to get them to the mainland where they can be properly disposed of. They tend to sit in the weeds or tall grass while they rust and leak oil, gas, antifreeze and other fluids onto the ground. These chemicals can then run off into surface water bodies or get into our drinking water supply, where they can cause problems for people and wildlife.”
Sergeant Steve Vierthaler on Orcas says abandoned cars are the number one kind of littering that he deals with. County-wide, he said the department receives one abandoned car a month.
Right now is the perfect time to dispose of those unwanted hunks of steel, as scrap metal prices are high.
Since February, Uzek Susol of Orcas Auto Tech has been picking up old cars and taking them for free to a recycling facility east of Marysville. As long as the vehicle is within 10 miles of Eastsound and has paperwork and wheels, he doesn’t charge. For cars that are farther from town and without wheels, there is a nominal fee. Call Susol at 376-5400 to arrange for pick-up.
“We’re trying to clean up Orcas,” Susol said. “A lot of these cars have been sitting and leaking for quite some time. If we get newer model vehicles with air bags, we’re giving those to the fire department for training.”
Since February 1, Susol has donated eight cars to the fire department and delivered around 30 vehicles to the facility in Marysville.
“I didn’t realize there were so many cars sitting in people’s backyards,” he said. “We’ve had such a great response … we’ll offer this through March or until the price of steel drops.”
Eastsound Towing will pay $25 to $50 car owners for their old cars – wheels or not. Call Jay and Julia Savell at 376-5855. David Lowry will pick up beaters for free. His number is 298-2441.
