The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

An unidentified worker places an old automobile battery on a pallet during the 2015 Household Hazardous Waste Collection event in Port Arthur. This year's event will be held from 8 a.m. - 1 p.m., Saturday, May 14, at Lumberton High School in Lumberton. The event is for residents in Orange County, Jefferson County and Hardin County. Photo by Tommy Mann Jr.

It is time for some serious spring cleaning for those who are looking to dispose of a variety of typical household hazardous products and chemicals.

The South East Texas Regional Planning Commission will hold its annual Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event from 8 a.m. - 1 p.m., Saturday, May 14, in the parking lot of Lumberton High School, which is located at 103 S. LHS Drive in Lumberton and is off State Highway 69 South.

According to Bob Dickinson of the South East Texas Regional Planning Commission, the event, which is held once per year, is open to residents of Hardin County, Jefferson County and Orange County.

“The typical household has approximately 100 pounds of hazardous chemicals and various other items,” he explained. “People keep all kinds of stuff under their sinks that accummulate over time. Now think about how much stuff people might possibly have in a garage or even a storage building."

The annual Household Hazardous Waste Collection event rotates among the counties every three years and is scheduled for Hardin County this year. In 2015, the event was held in Jefferson County at the Bob Bowers Civic Center in Port Arthur and last held in Orange County in 2014 when it was held at Bridge City Intermediate School.

The yearly event is solely for individuals and not businesses and is designed to allow residents to dispose of a variety of potentially hazardous and dangerous substances and products which are generally not so easiley disposable.

A variety of items may be brought to the school and disposed of, including a variety of automobile items such as anti-freeze, brake fluid, used oils and oil filters, car batteries and other automotive waste products.

Painting supplies, solvents, varnishes, paint strippers, as well as wood preservatives may be disposed of on Saturday, along with gardening supplies such as pesticides and insecticides, fertilizers and weed killers.

Batteries, cleaning concentrates, drain cleaners, oven cleaners, polishes, rat poison, moth balls, mercury and tires are being accepted as well. The first eight tires may be disposed of at no charge. However, there is a fee of $1 per tire after the first eight tires. Oversized tires will not be accepted at this event.

Although many items are being accepted at Saturday’s hazardous waste collection event, items such as electronics and appliances will not be accepted. Other items not being accepted include scrap metal, smoke detectors, garbage, explosives or ammunition, medical waste, medications and pharmaceuticals.

"We can't accept everything, but we do try to accommodate people the best that we can," Dickinson added. "This event is very helpful, not only to the people of these counties, but to the environment as well."