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One of my neighbors discarded an old radio and a fan a couple of days ago. Soon the items were smashed to bits by someone who wanted copper scraps.
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I have seen this happen before with television sets and computers left out on the curb. The first thing to go is the power cord.
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Large-scale copper theft of wiring from power stations and plumbing from homes under construction has become a big problem nationwide. Our backyard scavengers just left a big mess behind, but people have set fires in landfills while burning coverings off copper wires.
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On the large scale, copper theft has become important enough for the federal Department of Energy to publish a
25-page piece on its effect on utilities.
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Union County will be taking part in a statewide electronics recycling collection program in 2011, according to this
news article.
Anything is apparently tempting to copper scavengers, even household castoffs. Maybe it is a sign of our still somewhat desperate economic times.
--Bernice
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