Document text
Household haz-mat drop today, Saturday CENTRAL POINT -- Got some old paint, but nothing that needs painting? What about pool chemicals or weed killer? Today and Saturday mark the eighth annual Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off, in which local residents can clear their garages of chemicals, paint and other potentially dangerous materials. The hazardous material can be dropped off at the Jackson County Fairgrounds and Exposition Park between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. today and 8 a.m. to noon Saturday. A minimum charge of $5 covers the first cubic yard (equal to six 32-gallon trash cans) of hazardous waste. Acceptable waste includes old pesticides and insecticides, pool chemicals, fluorescent light ballast, weed killers, old lead, latex and oil-based paint, paint removers and old or toxic wood preservatives. Unacceptable waste includes fluorescent light tubes, medical or biological waste, explosives, radioactive materials, ammunition, commercial or industrial waste and asbestos. Waste in containers larger than five gallons or 55-gallon drums cannot be accepted. Also, to save on disposal costs, for the first time event sponsors plan to analyze some chemicals for reuse. Don Cordell, disposal operations manager for Rogue Disposal & Recycling, said any herbicides or paint deemed reusable by on-site chemists will be given away on a first-come-first-served basis. "We pay $9 a gallon to dispose of latex paint," he said. "You can put it on the wall in your apartment, and it saves everybody money." Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA