Residents of northern Oxford County have a chance over the next three weekends to dispose of those bottles and cans of sometimes unidentifiable stuff in the cellar, garage, barn or basement.

The Ninth Annual Household Hazardous Waste Collection, as usual, is sponsored by Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments. Transfer stations do not charge a fee for collecting the items during the annual event.

At the Northern Oxford County Transfer Station in Mexico, registration is required by calling 364-3645.

Transfer station coordinator Eric Schmersal said staff at the site must know what is coming in so they will know how to handle it. In past years, the most often disposed of materials have been mercury, corrosives such as pesticides and other poisons, and pool chemicals.

Liquids that can’t be identified are placed in five-gallon containers and sealed, said Schmersal. All materials must be contained before the transfer station will accept them, he said.

The station accepts no leaking materials. Cans that contain old gas will not be returned to owners. “Whatever an item is brought in, stays,” said Schmersal.

Residents of Northern Oxford Regional Solid Waste towns of Rumford, Byron, Dixfield, Mexico, Peru and Roxbury may bring hazardous materials to the site from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 26, and from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 27.

In Andover, residents may bring such items to the Andover Transfer Station from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20. No registration is required.

Residents of Bethel, Hanover and Newry may bring items to the Bethel Transfer Station from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 27. No registration required.

And in Carthage, without registration, residents may drop off hazardous materials from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 14, at the Carthage Transfer Station.

eadams@sunjournal.com

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