Wow, guys - thanks for all the great responses. This one has no thru-bolts or other removable parts, just a sealed tube with mounting brackets. I think I will recommend leaving it in place.
They will need more of all of OUR money if they have to go around cleaning up other people's shit for free all the time. Which yes, they do have to do all the time for this very reason as I'm sure you know full well. Most of the reason why we have to put up with the EPA to begin with. Too many people not willing to take personal responsibility for themselves. It is either always someone else's fault or problem or is going to be. I seriously hope that guy was just being an a-wipe when he made that suggestion. But, we all know there are actually enough clowns out there who wouldn't actually think twice before doing something like that, right next to an elementary school if it was even more convenient for them.
Well, for those with no sense of humor, yes I was kidding. But Muttley does bring up a good point. It's very easy for the government to forbid dumping of toxic or hazardous substances but they never seem to give you any reasonable avenue for disposing of things properly. Where I live I've never found anyplace to legally dispose of antifreeze. You'd think with the tens of thousand of dollars I pay every year in taxes they could open one single drop off site.
Well, we might actually pay a little more in taxes around here (debatable actually, but that is another issue), but we might do also get stuff like that. They aren't perfect and don't just accept everything. Not sure about a bunch of mercury though, however they don't say they won't take it as they do some other materials. http://www.stopwaste.org/home/index.asp?page=582 I don't think they do it to be nice and give everyone hugs and kisses. My guess is they just realize it is cheaper and easier to have people bring it to them some what safely rather than to have to go around and clean it up as a spill no one else will take responsibility for. So yes, it still cost something in taxes, but probably still a lot cheaper than going around doing clean up. Or better than just letting others who suffer the effects have to deal with it instead of the ones who are responsible for it.