"Last year was our most successful collection," Greg Caton, the city of Durango's assistant city manager, said Monday. "We collected 21,000 gallons of liquids, which with solids, totaled almost 84,000 pounds."
He said 658 people participated.
Envirosolve, a division of Houston-based medical waste management company MedServe, will gather the waste for disposal, Caton said.
Scott Logan, the MedServe vice president for chemical and nuclear services, said 90 percent of the waste will go to Tulsa, Okla., for processing. The remainder will go to Albuquerque. Paints and solvents are turned into an alternative fuel used to manufacture Portland cement; corrosives are neutralized and batteries are melted for their base metals, Logan said.
Access to the collection point is the main entrance to the fairgrounds. An express lane will be open for people with few items. Event staff members will determine eligibility for the express lane.
Acceptable items for collection are automotive fluids, cleaning products, paint, propane tanks, fluorescent light bulbs, pharmaceuticals, home and car batteries, and garden, hobby and indoor-home supplies.
On the unacceptable list are ammunition, explosives, electronics, radioactive waste and business waste.
Call the city's Department of Sustainable Services at 375-5004 to dispose of these supplies.
A $15 donation is requested to help defray the $90,000 cost of the collection.
The chemical-collection day is sponsored by the city of Durango and La Plata County, with help from city employees, Durango Fire & Rescue Authority personnel and community volunteers.