Glendale Fire Department’s Household Hazardous Waste Program, as it stands now, does not meet our needs. If the city of La Cañada Flintridge wants residents to do the right thing, they should make it much easier for us.
As things are now, if residents want to get rid of hazardous stuff, they have to drive it to another city 9 miles away, then drop it off during a brief time window on limited days of the week.
I recently cleared out my medicine cabinet and have been carrying them around in my car, hoping I would be in Glendale at exactly the right day and time to make the drop off window. I keep thinking, wouldn’t it be easier to just flush these old meds? I’m sure many people do, even though they know better.
Why don’t we have a collection program right here in LCF, at a location that’s open, say, every day during business hours? The CV Sheriff’s Station on Briggs Avenue has a collection bin for old meds, but their hours are very limited. Couldn’t they make this bin available daily?
Household chemicals are a bigger problem, as I found when trying to help a disabled neighbor clear out his garage — full of old paint, motor oil, cleaners, solvents, photo chemicals, etc. The Glendale Fire Department allows you to drop only a small box, with a 20-pound maximum. No trash hauler will pick up toxic stuff. We could not find any service provider who would take it all. No wonder residents throw paint cans and other toxic waste in the bottom of their trash can, then cover it with regular trash.
LCF needs to come up with a plan for toxics to be disposed of safely, right here in town. How about a “Toxics Pickup Day,” where a special crew picks up old paint, household cleaners, pesticides, etc., right at the curb? Or a drop-off site in LCF, at our local county fire stations, or perhaps a mobile pick-up unit at the City Hall parking lot?
Toxic trash eventually winds up in our drinking water, air and soil. The city of LCF needs to help residents deal with our toxic waste locally.
Carol Caley
La Cañada Flintridge
First published in the December 7 print issue of the Outlook Valley Sun.
