The Los Angeles County Sanitation Department, LA Public Works and several contracted companies used the Via Princessa Metrolink parking lot as a temporary collection site to give the community a place to get rid of their hazardous waste, Saturday.
Old electronics, oils, paints and other hazardous materials that have been piling up in homes can’t be tossed out with the usual trash, requiring special means of disposal in order to keep landfills from contaminating groundwater and keeping workers healthy.
The collection site opened at 8 a.m. to a line of cars backed all the way to Via Princessa, said Larry Myers, a supervisor technician with the Sanitation Department.
“(These) are funded by a surcharge on all the trash that’s disposed of in the county by the ton,” Myers explained. “Its where people can get rid of things that should not go in the trash. Motor oil, antifreeze, electronic wastes, pesticides, things like that.”
Throughout the year Santa Clarita hosts three collection days. One was held earlier this year at College of the Canyon with a third, smaller event to happen later this year, according to Myers.
Workers with the company Stericycle collected and sorted the items to be disposed of in the proper manner. Stericycle was one of three companies contracted to help with the collection alongside Veolia and Clean Harbors, Myers said.
Those that missed Saturday’s collection can take steps to correctly dispose of hazardous materials including visiting permanent disposal sites. The city of Santa Clarita compiled a list of places in the valley where wastes can be disposed on their https://greensantaclarita.com/residents/hazardous-waste/website.
