ORANGE COUNTY PERSPECTIVE : She’s Sorry She Mentioned It

In the annals of modern bureaucracy, it may be that no environmentally correct deed goes unpunished. In these budget-conscious times, even good intentions may lead to a bill rather than a thank-you note.

Ruth Carson, a 75-year-old great-grandmother, thought she was doing the right thing by the environment when she cleaned out her garage recently and came upon some glass bottles. She correctly surmised that they were her late husband’s chemicals for developing film--but just to be sure, she went to the Orange Police Department and left them with a receptionist.

Had she known where to go--to any one of three free disposal sites in Orange County for dropping off household waste products--this would have been a routine tale of one homeowner’s effort to reduce the presence of hazardous chemicals.

But soon thereafter, Carson received a bill from the Orange County Hazardous Materials Authority for a whopping $3,040.49. The bill was for the cost of sending a HAZMAT team to the police station after a watch commander who had become suspicious about the contents called the Fire Department.

Fire officials sent a four-person hazardous materials team to the site, fearing that the then-unknown substance might be explosive. The Orange County bomb squad was called and the police building was evacuated. Carson’s subsequent request to have the bill corrected was met with a demand for payment within 14 days. This shouldn’t happen to anyone, least of all a well-meaning great-grandmother trying to make ends meet on a fixed income.

An administrator for the hazardous materials agency says Carson now can apply to the agency’s advisory board for a hearing to appeal the bill. We hope that the board will recognize the absurdity of billing Carson. To force her to pay would send the wrong signal to the rest of us with cluttered garages. If people think it will be too much hassle, they may just be inclined to leave unsafe materials around the house. Police departments also might do well to be sure that receptionists and switchboard operators have information readily available to meet inquiries about disposal.

The phone number for hours of operation and information on acceptable substances for household waste disposal sites is (714) 665-6970. The sites are in Anaheim at 1131 Blue Gum St.; in Huntington Beach at 17121 Nichols St.; and in San Juan Capistrano at Prima Deshecha landfill, off Ortega Highway, near La Pata Avenue.