Annual household hazardous waste disposal collection returns to Rainier May 17

Just in time for Spring cleaning is the annual countywide Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) disposal collection. The date for Rainier is Saturday, May 17, from 8 a.m. to noon in the parking lot next to the Rainier Sewer Treatment Plant at 690 West A. St.

Many items used in the home are not able to be disposed of easily in garbage or recycling bins and can present safety and health hazards to people, animals, and water quality. Examples of this include aerosols, anti-freeze, fertilizers, motor oil, paint supplies, photo chemicals, poisons, and solvents.

Also, items that have labels that contain the words flammable, toxic, corrosive, reactive, warning, caution, dangerous, combustible, ignitable, and oxidizer can be toxic and should be disposed of properly.

A variety of materials and items are accepted during the HHW collection event. Residents can safely dispose of various household hazardous waste items, including paints, chemicals, and electronics. If disposing of sharps (needles, syringes) they must be placed in a certified red "biohazard" container and disposed of at the Columbia County Transfer Station.

Additional materials and items accepted include lawn/garden chemicals (moss killers, fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, poisons); herbicides/pesticides; pool/spa chemicals; light ballasts (remove from light fixture)/fluorescent tubes; art, craft and hobby chemicals; solvents/thinners; propane cylinders/tanks; batteries (vehicle, rechargeable, button, alkaline batteries); cleaners/detergents; poisons; ammunition/fireworks/flares; gas/diesel/fuels/antifreeze; cleaners (bleach; detergents; deck, hand, over and drain cleaners, etc.); beauty products (fingernail polish and remover, some hair products); explosives/fireworks/flares; and mercury (items containing mercury can include ballasts, barometers, blood pressure gauges, fluorescent lights, high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps, silent wall switches, thermometers-medical and household thermostats).

Non-acceptable items include any material containing asbestos, bio-medical waste, dead animals, radioactive materials, garbage or trash, liquids in containers larger than five gallons, unwanted/unused medicine, and pharmaceuticals.

This event is only for Columbia Count residents, and proof of residency may be requested before any waste is accepted. Columbia County may limit the amount of waste collected, and no commercial or other organizational waste will be accepted.

If unsure about a specific material or item, contact the Solid Waste Coordinator for Columbia County at 503-397-7259.