Safely Dispose of Old Paint, Poison and Household Chemicals Saturday

Saturday's the day to get rid of those old paint cans, poisons and household chemicals! Safe disposal is important because chemicals that have been stored for extended periods pose a health threat if spilled, especially to children and pets. It’s also important to keep chemicals out of garbage trucks in neighborhoods because chemicals have the potential of catching fire in a truck, or even worse, an explosion or fire could seriously injure personnel working on a garbage truck. Chemicals can ignite or explode in the landfill, causing danger to nearby residents and workers alike. Chemicals in the landfill can potentially leak through the protective liners and contaminate the ground water (the Chicot Aquifer in Southwest Louisiana.) The hazards are real and the solution is simple:

Lafayette Consolidated Government’s Environmental Quality Division is sponsoring a household chemical drop-off day Saturday, October 20, from 8 a.m. until noon at the Cajun Field parking lot. Residents in the city of Lafayette and unincorporated areas of Lafayette Parish can properly and safely dispose of paint, poison, chemical cleaners, mercury, and other chemicals. Computers and any other electronic devices with a chip will also be collected to be recycled. For an information flyer, go to lafayettela.gov, or call 291-8529.