What would you do with 2,000 picnic tables? If you have a serious answer to that question, the the Cook County Forest Preserve District has a deal for you. Even if you only need one table, the Forest Preserve District is offering an opportunity that doesn't come along very often.
The District, which has phased in a new style of picnic table over the past three years, is selling all of its older, all-wood tables on Ebay, beginning Monday.
The old tables are not only outdated, but they have been treated with Copper Chromate Arsenate -- better known as (CCA) a chemical preservative. The chemical was pressure injected into the tables to protect the wood from rot, fungi, molds, termites and other pests. The Environmental Protection Agency has since classified CCA as a "restricted use product," for use only by certified pesticide applicators.
With that in mind, the eBay posting reads, "anyone seeking to use or dispose of wood treated with CCA should not do so without reading the Question and Answer document prepared by the EPA regarding CCA, available online at the EPA website and as a handout at the location provided below.
The Forest Preserve District has set up a two-category pricing arrangement for the eBay auction. Tables will be sold to the general public for $15, and to organizations that provide official proof of a 501 or charitable designation for $10.
