Hazardous-Waste Disposal Made Easier

Residents generated 38,000 pounds of hazardous household waste in 1998 that included such things as paint, motor oil and swimming pool chemicals, according to city officials.

Disposing of the material has presented problems, because the city collects such waste only once a year, leaving residents with few alternatives for recycling or properly disposing of it.

The City Council addressed the situation last week by approving an agreement with Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley to allow Moorpark residents to participate in biweekly collections in those cities.

Under the agreement, Moorpark residents may make appointments to dispose of their hazardous waste at collections held the first Saturday of every month in Thousand Oaks.

Simi Valley’s collections, held the third Saturday of each month, have already been open to Moorpark residents, but filled up so quickly that officials stopped taking appointments two weeks ahead of time.

Moorpark’s senior management analyst John Brand said the city’s old system of collecting hazardous waste frustrated many residents forced to wait so long before removing dangerous materials from their homes.

“People would move or repaint their homes or clean out their garages throughout the year, and it was always tough to tell people that it was going to be 10 or 11 months before their next opportunity,” Brand said.

“We’ve basically gone from one a year to two opportunities a month for people to conveniently dispose of their household hazardous waste,” he said.