The Department of Public Works (DPW) will hold its annual Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day on Saturday, May 12, 2001 from 9 AM to 3 PM at 16th and Kennedy Streets, NW in the Carter Barron Amphitheater parking lot.

"This Mother's Day weekend, make Mom happy by cleaning out the garage, the basement, the attic or the garden shed," said Leslie Hotaling, Director of DPW. "Certain common household products that we keep in and around the home -- sometimes for years -- can be dangerous to the environment or human health, if not disposed of properly," she added. Residents are encouraged to keep hazardous chemicals, products and other material in their original containers for disposal.

DC residents can bring items including old cleaning and gardening chemicals, pesticides and poisons, acids, varnish, oil-based paints, solvents, aerosols, wood preservatives, as well as spent batteries and automotive fluids to the collection site for environmentally safe disposal or recycling. This year, residents may also bring computers and TVs to the collection site, although broken CRT tubes cannot be accepted. There will be a small fee charged for disposal of TVs and computer monitors. All other materials are accepted free.

At the Carter Barron collection site, a professional hazardous waste handler will remove materials from the residents' cars. A licensed hauler will take the waste to an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved facility for processing.

It is estimated that the average home contains between 50 and 100 pounds of accumulated hazardous wastes including car batteries, paint and petroleum products.

Items that will not be accepted during the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day include ammunition, explosives, gas cylinders, radioactive or biologically active wastes.