Pearl River County residents will have the opportunity to safely dispose of hazardous waste during the county’s household hazardous waste collection event Dec. 12 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the county barn, located in Millard. The event is free.

The county is able to host the event every year thanks to a solid waste assistance grant from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, which awards the grant to counties statewide, PRC Fire Marshal Albert Lee said.

This year, Pearl River County received a $23,434 solid waste assistance grant from MDEQ.

“We hold this event so household hazardous wastes won’t be found in ditches and are disposed of properly. When they’re mixed in a landfill, it could be hazardous or cause explosions,” Lee said. “We have specialized people that come in during this event and collect the wastes and package it and send it to specialized landfill where hazardous wastes go.”

The items that will be accepted include used oils, lily water, antifreeze, gasoline, diesel fuels, batteries of various sorts, including alkaline, ni-cad, nickel metal hydride, lead-acid and lithium. Residents can also bring straight fluorescent lamps, compact or u-tube, circular lamps, HID, HPS, mercury vapor, metal halide lamps, mercury containing items, miscellaneous electronics such as TVs or computer equipment, aerosols, corrosives, flammables, oil based paint, latex paint, oxidizers, reactives and propane cylinders, Lee said.

Those wastes can be toxic, flammable and capable of exploding when exposed to heat, air, water or shock, according to MDEQ’s website.

Through the MDEQ grant, the county can improve their management of solid waste and offer residents a chance to clean the streets and avoid household hazardous wastes from finding a home in creeks, ditches or landfills, Lee said.

The event only serves the Pearl River County area, Lee said.

For more information about the event, contact Lee’s office at 601-749-7709.