Landfill collects hazardous waste Saturday

The monthly household hazardous waste collection day in Flathead County is Saturday, April 16.

County residents can get rid of typical household hazardous wastes at the county landfill without paying any fee on the collection day, county Public Works Director Dave Prunty said.

People need to schedule appointments at the landfill. Typically, appointments are between 8 a.m. and noon, Prunty said. Call the county Solid Waste District office at 758-5910.

“We ask people to call us, then we usually send a postcard with their appointment time,” Prunty said. But people who register late in the process can still get appointments by going to the landfill and registering in advance. However, those people still need to call the landfill before going out, he cautioned.

Rarely, too many people want to make appointments for a particular Saturday and there isn’t time to schedule everyone, he said, and some folks’ appointments are moved to the following month.

When calling the landfill, people need to tell the county employee what materials they plan to haul in, Prunty said.

Among the approved items for the collection day are oil-based paints, solvents, adhesives, paint thinner, wood stains, cleaning products, furniture stripper, herbicides, pesticides, insecticides, fertilizers, tree spray, carburetor cleaner, flea powder, lye and turpentine.

Essentially, Prunty said, any product with a label indicating the product is poisonous or flammable can be taken to the landfill on the collection day.

Hazardous materials can’t be dumped into the regular landfill and buried, he said. That’s why people are asked not to throw such materials into their regular garbage.

The county hires a company that collects the hazardous waste and disposes of it properly.

Latex paint doesn’t need to be handled separately at the landfill, Prunty said, because it is water-based.

People who want to get rid of latex paint are asked to “take the lid off, throw in a little sand or kitty litter and stir it up,” he said. That turns the paint into a gooey form, which can then be tossed into their regular garbage container.

People cannot bring in explosives of any sort, Prunty said. But people can contact the same company that hauls off the county’s hazardous waste and make specific arrangements to dispose of their explosives with that company, he said. Anyone who needs that service can call the landfill to get the company’s contact information. That private firm does charge a fee for explosives collection.

The household hazardous waste collection day is always the third Saturday of every month. Those days for the rest of the year are May 21, June 18, July 16, Aug. 20, Sept. 17, Oct. 15, Nov. 19 and Dec. 17.

Reporter Shelley Ridenour may be reached at 758-4439 or by email at sridenour@dailyinterlake.com.