SCV dumps hazardous waste the right way

Hazardous materials are loaded into barrels to be disposed of properly by the Sanitations District of LA County at a waste collection center at College of the Canyons in Valencia, Calif. on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017.
Hazardous materials are loaded into barrels to be disposed of properly by the Sanitations District of LA County at a waste collection center at College of the Canyons in Valencia, Calif. on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017. Christian Monterrosa/ The Signal. Signal file photo.
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Santa Clarita’s toxic waste found a way out of garages and into proper disposal bins Saturday, as the Household Hazardous Waste and Electronic Waste Collection Program set up at College of the Canyons collected potentially hazardous garbage for free.

To prevent the disposal of environmentally unfriendly materials in landfills and dumpsters, the county’s Sanitation Districts provides drop off locations throughout Los Angeles County.

SCV residents took full advantage and lined up en mass to get rid of materials like old paints, motor oil and fluorescent light bulbs.

The site had close to 50 workers sorting and collecting waste materials, with more trained workers in white Tyvek suits handling the more hazardous refuse.

Luis Llerena, who supervised the event for the Sanitation Districts, said the event was about storing potentially dangerous materials as safely as possible.

“Essentially, it is an avenue for the public to dispose of their hazardous waste in a responsible manner,” said Llerena.

An SCV resident waits in line to offload her hazardous materials at a waste collection center at College of the Canyons in Valencia, Calif. on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017. Christian Monterrosa/ The Signal

“Obviously, we don’t want this to end up in landfills, dumped in alleys, dumped down the storm drain or sewers,” he said, “that type of thing.”

The disposal site organized waste onto pallets and into truck loads. With one “load” equating to 15 gallons of liquid or 125 pounds of solid material.

The site was set up for 700 bundles of waste, but was fast approaching 1,000 by 1 p.m., with about 800 cars stopping by the school’s parking lot.

Santa Clarita resident Jason Beaman, was waiting in the long line that stretched down Rockwell Canyon for his turn to dispose of some old electronics.

“I’m trying to keep the environment clean,” he said, “and do the right thing.”

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