RALEIGH -- If you're cleaning out a home flooded by Hurricane Floyd, please don't leave household hazardous wastes with other debris at the curb.
Household hazardous wastes include items such as floor cleaners, bug spray, drain cleaner, leftover paints, used oil, contaminated gasoline and other household chemicals.
Carteret, Edgecombe, Lenoir, and Pitt counties have established locations for collecting household hazardous waste items on Saturday, Oct. 23. The waste will be collected at these sites:
CARTERET
9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Morehead City Primary School, Country Club Road, Morehead City
9 a.m. - 1 p.m. East Carteret High School, U.S. 70, North of Beaufort
LENOIR
9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Vernon Park Mall, off Vernon Avenue, Kinston; behind Burger King
EDGECOMBE
9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Edgecombe Tech Convenience Site, Wilson St., Tarboro
9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Baie Road Convenience Site, Baie Road, outside of Rocky Mount
9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Old Maybry Bridge Road Convenience Site, St. Rt. 1500, outside of Tarboro
PITT
9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Pitt County Landfill, Landfill Road, Greenville
9 a.m. - 1 p.m. EJE Recycling, U.S. 264 East Bypass, Washington
Household hazardous waste will be collected free of charge on this collection day only. Other eastern counties are planning similar collection events. County recycling coordinators or solid waste offices can be contacted for more information about county household hazardous waste collections.
The State Emergency Response Team (SERT) recommends that people collect their household hazardous waste for dropoff rather than putting these items with other household garbage that goes to landfills. Although people usually use these items safely under normal circumstances, the items are toxic and can become deadly in the hands of children who do not understand their danger. Household hazardous wastes should never be left within the reach of children or pets.
Household hazardous waste items includes items such as:
Kitchen and bathroom cleaning products and polishes
Automotive products (gasoline, antifreeze, batteries, used oil)
Insect and rodent killers
Drain openers
Paints, latex, and oil-based products
Paint thinners
Household batteries
Weed killers
These items should be placed in a leak-proof container with labels and caps in tact if possible. Also, items should be stored in a cool, dry place until collection day.
These materials must be disposed of properly to avoid injury to sanitation workers, contamination of septic tanks and wastewater treatment facilities, and environmental contamination of the soil, surface water and groundwater.
For more information, call the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources' Customer Service Center toll free helpline at (877) 623-6748.
Return to Hurricane Floyd Page.