NORWAY — The annual household hazardous waste collection will be held from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 15, for residents in the Norway/Paris area.

Residents will be able to dispose of all of the poisons, pesticides and paints they have been accumulating around their homes. The collection will be at Norway/Paris Solid Waste, 39 Brown St.

Towns included are Norway, Paris, Hartford, Otisfield, Waterford/Albany and West Paris. There is no cost for participation by residents of these towns, although the towns reserve the right to limit excessive quantities.

Responsible Pet Care of Oxford Hills will be handing out free ice cream novelties and information on responsible pet care and the safe use of hazardous products. They are a small feline shelter and adoption center located in Norway. 

Residents from other towns may participate by checking with their town office or the Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments to determine if that town covers the cost. For those residents whose towns do not cover disposal costs, the cost is $27 for every five gallons of liquid waste or 20 pounds of dry waste (or a combination). 

Ferg Lea, an environmental engineer at AVCOG, said, “These materials pose a risk to kids playing, create a significant fire hazard and present a hazard to firefighters should there be a fire. In addition, they cause air and water pollution if not properly handled, and they create a risk to solid waste workers if thrown in the regular trash.” 

Wastes accepted include oil-based paints, varnishes, lacquers, paint thinners, pesticides, old gasoline and contaminated waste oil, old pool chemicals and almost anything that has the words “caution, warning, poison, corrosive, toxic, volatile, flammable or danger” on the label. Smoke detectors have been added to the list of accepted items.

The collection will not accept latex paint, ammunition or explosives. For more information, residents can contact AVCOG at 783-9186 or visit www.avcog.org. 

Residents are asked to bring their hazardous wastes to the event in original containers if possible. Leaking containers can be placed in plastic bags or cardboard boxes. 

The event is part of the ongoing Western Maine Environmental Depot Collection Program run by AVCOG in conjunction with the municipalities in the AVCOG region and Environmental Projects Inc. (EPI), a private, qualified contractor. Those not able to make the collection can contact AVCOG for other collection locations.