It's a rare homeowner or renter who doesn't have half-empty paint cans, an old car battery or two, pesticides, paint thinner and unused-but-old household cleaning chemicals stacked in the back of their garage or stored in the basement. This weekend's collection of household hazardous waste at the Butler County fairgrounds on Rt. 422 is a perfect opportunity for people to get rid of those materials in the most responsible way.

Decades ago, these cans and bottles of chemicals and other hazardous materials would have been tossed in the trash, or thrown into a community dump or even into nearby a woods or field. Today, most people know the environmental harm caused by dumping such materials. But until recently, there were few or no options for proper disposal - so the material just piled up in basements and garages.

This Saturday, however, county residents will have an opportunity to get rid of much of this material by taking it to a household hazardous waste collection day at the Butler County Fairgrounds. Material will be accepted from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and access to the fairgrounds for this event will be from Unionville Road.

Disposal of automotive fluids, old paint, and some other chemical products will cost $2 (cash only) per gallon. Pesticides, herbicides and insecticides will not incur a charge.

Saturday's special collection is sponsored by the Southwestern Pennsylvania Household Hazardous Waste Task Force, which reports that an estimated have 5,000 families in Southwestern Pennsylvania have already brought their unwanted hazardous household waste to previous collection efforts. Materials collected will be recycled, properly incinerated or buried in special landfills.

The hazardous waste taskforce conducted earlier collections in other counties, but Saturday's event will be the first in Butler County.

Participation in Butler County is expected to be strong. According to Cheryl Kelly, Butler County recycling coordinator, many residents have called the county in recent years asking for advice on what to do with this hazardous material. The numerous calls to the county suggests these people want to do the right thing, but also want to rid their homes and garages of this material. Now they have the chance.

For additional information on the hazardous waste collection, call (724) 284-5305.

This event, and others like it to collect other types of hard-to-dispose-of or hazardous material, are overdue, but welcome.

- J.L.W.III