The local solid waste management authority will use a $100,000 grant to expand access to refillable propane containers and less-toxic LED marine flares for boaters.

The Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority, with help from the California Product Stewardship Council, received the $100,000 Hazardous Waste Discretionary grant from CalRecycle.

According to an authority news release, Hiouchi Hamlet, Lucky 7 Fuel Mart and Suburban Propane are currently participating in the Refuel Your Fun program. The program offers refillable quart-size propane containers as an alternative to single-use containers, which, even empty, are a fire hazard if punctured.

Incendiary flares are also a problem, according to Kyra Seymour, the Solid Waste Management Authority’s facilities and programs coordinator.

The Solid Waste Authority will use its grant dollars to host events where single-use propane containers can be exchanged for refillable containers, according to the news release. Seymour said the Solid Waste Management Authority will also use its grant to make it easier for local boaters to obtain LED flares.

“We are still in talks with the people we’re working with on this,” Seymour said. “What we will be doing most likely is giving away coupons to purchase the LED signals because they’re quite expensive. What we will be doing is making sure they are available in this county.”

Seymour said she’s been speaking with the manufacturer of both the incendiary flares and the LED flares as well as the U.S. Coast Guard. LED flares are acceptable to the Coast Guard, she said, as long as boaters combine their use with a flag that is visible during the day, Seymour said.

The Solid Waste Authority will also partner with the Crescent City Harbor District and Englund Marine, Seymour said. She said the LED flares are sold at Englund Marine.

Seymour introduced the community to the ReFuel Your Fun program last year. This program allows people to bring in their single-use propane containers and exchange them for the refillable containers.

On Tuesday, Solid Waste Management Authority Director Tedd Ward said receiving the CalRecycle grant will allow the authority to move forward on expanding its involvement in the program. He said staff will bring more information to the solid waste board “as the year goes on.”

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