Hazardous Waste Collection event set for October

By Christine Haines

chaines@yourmvi.com

Unused paint in the basement, pesticide in the garage, an old dorm refrigerator in the attic — all contain potentially hazardous chemicals that may no longer be needed at your home.

Westmoreland County Cleanways is holding a Household Hazardous Waste Collection event for all Westmoreland County residents from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 24, with pre-registration required. 

There is a fee for the disposal service that is discounted for Cleanways members, with memberships starting as low as $5 a year for individuals.  

“People have so much toxic stuff in their homes that they don’t realize pesticide, insecticides, paints, automotive fluids,” said Westmoreland Cleanways Executive Director Ellen Keefe. “It’s in garages; it’s in basements and people don’t know what to do with it.”

Keefe said the hazardous waste disposal events gets people to think about what they may have around the house that they don’t need to be holding onto and can’t get rid of through their regular trash collection.

“When you’re mixing all these chemicals in the trash, there’s always the chance it will mix with something else and cause a problem,” Keefe said.

Items that will be accepted include oil-based and latex paints, deck stain, flammable liquids, drain cleaners, pool chemicals, fertilizer, antifreeze, automotive fluids, adhesives, water sealers, wood and metal finishing products, household cleaning agents, insecticides and pesticide. Propane tanks for household grills will also be accepted.

According to Environmental Coordination Services and Recycling, the company handling the disposal, fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, batteries and items containing mercury will not be accepted. 

The materials should be left in the original containers if possible, though individual containers should be smaller than five gallons each. Individuals are encouraged to wear gloves while handling any materials that may leak and to have them properly sealed and stored for transport.

“Unfortunately, there is a cost to it. It’s extremely expensive to dispose of properly, Fortunately, half the cost is paid for by the Department of Environmental Protection,” Keefe said.

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