County’s 1st Hazardous-Waste Collection Center Opens : Toxics: Residents now have a place to dispose of materials that, under state law, can’t be put in the garbage or poured down the drain.

Orange County’s first permanent collection center for hazardous waste opened Thursday, finally giving county residents a legal alternative for disposing of their unwanted toxic materials.

Residents can drop off household materials, free of charge, at 2761 E. White Star Ave. from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.

County officials obtained approval to open the center Thursday after years of clamoring by homeowners who are searching for a safe, legal place to dispose of their used motor oil, pesticides, paints and other toxics.

“Every homeowner has to do his bit for the Earth, and this is the first opportunity for people to do that by disposing of these substances legally,” said Karen Peters, hazardous materials manager for the Orange County Fire Department, which manages the new collection site.

State law prohibits dumping of toxic substances, even small amounts of household ones such as paint thinner, in any garbage can, drain, street or waterway. But until now, there were no permanent collection points; the only alternative for residents was the daylong waste roundups periodically held by the county.

The Anaheim center is the first of six expected to open in Orange County. Others are expected to open in San Juan Capistrano, Huntington Beach, Brea and Stanton by the end of summer, and the county is searching for a location in Irvine.

On Thursday, 19 residents heard about the new center and dropped off some unwanted pesticides, waste oil and paint--even with no advertising or publicity about the opening.

Fire officials said they expect the center to be busy, because demand for opening a collection site has been strong for years. From 10 to 50 residents every day phone the county’s hazardous materials office asking where they can get rid of their toxic materials.

“People have been very frustrated until now. They call and say they have stuff in their garage and want to get rid of it legally, and we had to tell them before that there was no place to go. Now, it’s finally open,” Peters said.

Households are a significant source of hazardous wastes in Orange County, and officials worry that they are being illegally dumped. Any materials thrown in the county’s sewers or storm drains wind up in the ocean, bays or other waterways, and those responsible can be charged with a misdemeanor.

County officials estimate that each household in Orange County generates about 7.5 pounds of hazardous waste per year. It totals about 3,000 tons per year, compared to about 226,000 tons created by industry in Orange County.

“While it’s only a small percentage of the total in the county, the point is to keep it out of the sewers and solid-waste landfills,” Peters said.

The center, located on property already used as a commercial garbage transfer station, is only a collection point. The waste is hauled from there to special toxic-waste landfills, disposal plants or recycling centers, all of which are located outside Orange County.

The Board of Supervisors approved funding for household waste centers last year, but it took a year to obtain proper permits and liability insurance for the first site. The center was allowed to open its doors Thursday morning after state officials gave their final consent.

The center--operated by a private company but managed and funded by the county--will accept only household materials, not commercial waste, and will only take waste in original containers. The limit is five gallons or 50 pounds. No radioactive or explosive materials will be accepted and only Orange County residents can use the service.

The county’s ultimate goal is to persuade residents to follow the four Rs of toxic materials: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Read the Label. Many toxic cleaners, pesticides or other substances have nontoxic substitutes that can be used, Peters said.