LEWISTON – On Saturday, May 2, the Environmental Depot will again be accepting household hazardous waste, toxic substances and poisons from residents of Auburn, Lewiston and most surrounding towns.

People cleaning out their cellars and garages may bring potentially hazardous substances to the depot at the Lewiston Solid Waste Facility, 424 River Road. It is open from 8 a.m. to noon the first and third Saturdays of every month starting May 2 and running through November, except for three-day holiday weekends.

Last year, more than 4,300 gallons of hazardous materials were collected at the depot and disposed of or recycled at facilities specially designed to handle such wastes.

Another 4,225 gallons were collected at one-day collection events in Androscoggin, Franklin and Oxford counties.

The depot is owned by Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments and is operated by Environmental Projects, Inc. AVCOG and EPI also team up to hold regional collection events. EPI is a fully licensed hazardous waste handler that recently relocated to Auburn.

Ferg Lea, an environmental engineer with AVCOG, said, “The Depot provides one of the few places in Maine where residents can safely get rid of the toxic liquids and poisons that many of us keep under our kitchen sink or in our basement or garage. These substances create fire hazards and hazards for children and even adults should they drink them or use them improperly.”

AVCOG encourages people to use the depot to ensure that the toxic substances are not put in landfills or incinerated in facilities not designed to handle them.

Wastes handled at the depot include mercury, pesticides, cleaners, solvents, oil-based paint, pool chemicals, and other chemicals. Smoke detectors are also collected.

Latex or water-based paints do not need to be brought to the depot; they may be dried and put in regular trash. Likewise, regular alkaline batteries may be placed in the trash since American companies are no longer using mercury in the manufacturing process.

People should leave wastes in their original containers, whenever possible. Residents from Lewiston and Auburn and most surrounding towns may bring up to 10 gallons of liquid waste or 40 pounds of dry waste, or combination thereof, to the depot at no cost.

Residents of nonparticipating towns or with quantities over the limit may pay at the facility.

More information on the depot may be found at www.avcog.org and www.envdepot.com or by calling AVCOG at 783-9186.