The next Columbia County Household Hazardous Waste Collection will be June 12th, from 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the Transfer Station in St. Helens

The next Columbia County Household Hazardous Waste Collection will be June 12th            

from 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the Transfer Station in St. Helens

Due to COVID-19, three Household Hazardous Waste Collections were canceled in 2020; we are hopeful we will be able to hold all of the regularly scheduled collections in 2021.  Please check the Columbia County website for further updates http://www.co.columbia.or.us/HazardousWaste.

Extra safety measures will be in place. Please be patient, unloading may take a few extra minutes. We ask that you have all your household hazardous waste in the truck bed or trunk or hatchback of your car, not passenger compartment.  Wearing a mask is required, and please remain in your vehicle.

A variety of hazardous materials can be dropped off at no cost on Saturday, June 12th at the household hazardous waste event at the Columbia County Transfer Station. Below is a list of items that can be brought to the event.  Bring products in original containers.  Items must be in containers of five gallons or less and should be secured safely during transport. Trained household hazardous waste technicians will unload materials from vehicles.

Examples of acceptable items:

fireworks and flares
gas / diesel / fuels / antifreeze / motor oil
lawn and garden chemicals
herbicides and pesticides
pool and spa chemicals
light ballasts—please remove from light fixture
fluorescent tubes
art and hobby chemicals
solvents and thinners
items containing mercury
propane cylinders
compressed gas cylinders
batteries - car, rechargeable, button, alkaline batteries
cleaners and detergents
poisons
paint
used motor oil
cooking oil
medical sharps
automotive batteries
antifreeze
fluorescent tubes
ammunition

Unwanted paint, used motor oil and used cooking oil can be brought to the event as well as any time during the Transfer Station’s open hours for no fee.  Medical sharps are accepted during open hours for no cost at the Scale House. Sharps must arrive in a sealed, self-closing, puncture-proof OSHA approved container.

Although automotive batteries, antifreeze and fluorescent tubes will be collected at no cost during this collection event, a fee is charged when brought to the Transfer Station at other times.

The St. Helens Police Department accepts expired or unwanted medication at 150 S 13th St. Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. - noon or 1 - 5 p.m. in the MedReturn collection box. 

The county will host three more household hazardous waste events in 2021, the next events are August 28th at the Transfer Station in St Helens, October 2nd in Clatskanie and October 23rd at the Transfer Station in St Helens.  Please check the Columbia County website for further updates http://www.co.columbia.or.us/HazardousWaste.

For more information, email Kathy Boutin-Pasterz at Kathleen.Boutin-Pasterz@co.columbia.or.us or call her at 503-397-7259.