The organizers of Clifton Park’s Hazardous Waste Collection Day said the number of people registered for this year’s event has nearly doubled from last year. In years past, residents of Clifton Park, Malta, Halfmoon and Waterford have been asked to pre-register for the event in an effort to minimize wait time for participants, reduce the risk of accidents, and help the town anticipate costs of disposal. This will be the first year in the event’s 12-year history that residents who have not already pre-registered will be turned away. Registration is full for the Sept. 30 event.
The notice that went out to residents of Clifton Park advertising the bulk waste day included information about hazardous waste day, said Mike O’Brien, the town’s environmental specialist in charge of event details. O’Brien noted that while advertisements in local papers and announcements at town meetings are regularly made, the bulk waste notices really seemed to make the difference.
This year, 65 Malta residents have registered to drop off their household hazardous waste at the town’s transfer station on Ray Road. Waste must be household generated. No institutional, commercial, industrial facility or commercial farming waste will be accepted. Materials that will be accepted include latex, oil-based and aerosol paints, as well as stains and coatings. Solvents, including paint stripper, mineral spirits, turpentine and cleaning fluids will be accepted, as will waste oil, waste antifreeze, corrosives, mercury, pesticides, insecticides, rodent poisons, fluorescent light tubes and electronic items. O’Brien said last year’s 501 participants dropped off just under 10,000 pounds of electronics and 87 cubic yards of paints, stains and solvents.
`There is not a way to get rid of most things,` said O’Brien regarding residents who missed the registration. `Most people have been holding on to that stuff for years, and they’ll have to wait for next year.` While O’Brien expects the event to occur again next fall, no date has been set.
The state assists the town of Clifton Park with funding the event by offering a grant for 50 percent of the total cost of item removal. Each of the participating municipalities pay a portion of the remaining cost, and each resident pays $16 in registration fees to drop off appropriate items.“
