Originally Published in the Dalton Daily Citizen
June 20 marked the 10th anniversary of the household hazardous waste facility operated by the Dalton-Whitfield Regional Solid Waste Management Authority.
The authority developed the first permanent household hazardous waste collection facility in the state. More than 250,000 pounds of household hazardous waste has been managed through the facility.
Prior to 1999, the authority held an annual collection event for household hazardous waste. The Solid Waste Citizens Advisory Task Force identified a need for a permanent facility and more frequent collections. With a $50,000 grant from the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority, the local authority opened the first publicly owned and operated permanent household hazardous waste facility in the state.
The facility is open to residents of Whitfield County the third Saturday of each month and accepts leftover household products such as pesticides, old gasoline, batteries, paints and pool chemicals, to name a few. The facility has been used as the model for many communities around the state, but still remains the only facility like it in the state.
For more information regarding the proper management of household hazardous waste, call (706) 277-2545 or (706) 278-5001.
The authority has announced its Independence Day holiday operating schedule for landfills and convenience centers:
• Friday — All locations open normal hours (7 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
• Saturday — All locations closed
• Monday — All locations open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Tuesday — All locations open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Westside location normally closed)
• Wednesday — All locations open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. (McGaughey Chapel location normally closed)
• Thursday — Normal operating days and hours resume
