LONG BEACH – Peninsulans are down to four Fridays left in 2003 to dispose of hazardous waste at the Pacific County Moderate Risk Waste Facility on Second Street North in Long Beach.

The center will be closed Sept. 5 due to Rod Run. Otherwise, the facility, located between the Pacific County Public Services Building and the South Pacific County Humane Society, will open Fridays from 9 a.m. to noon through Sept. 26.

Usage is way down this year, according to county environmental health specialist Brian Dickey. The facility is in its 10th year and county officials assumed the program had enough momentum to continue without promotion or advertisement. Consequently, far fewer than last year’s 450 people have taken advantage of the service.

“[In past years], we’ve had to call Phillips Environmental in Tacoma a few times to pick up drums,” Dickey said. “This year, we haven’t called for a pick-up yet.”

Dickey is concerned people may be disposing the waste in other ways. “The idea,” he said, “is to get this stuff out of landfills and keep it out of the ground water. Landfill liners eventually leak.”

The environmental health specialist said paints comprise about half of the waste brought into the Long Beach facility. Pesticides make up another 25 percent. “If it’s flammable, corrosive, toxic or hazardous, we’ll take it,” said Dickey, “just nothing radiological, biological or explosive.”

Dickey points to one encouraging statistic – 50 percent of his 2003 patrons were repeat customers, proving that a user base is growing. A hazardous waste wagon, parked in South Bend but traveling to points around the county, has also been a success in its first year.

For information about hazardous waste disposal, call 642-9356 from the Peninsula. Use the same number (9356) with an 875 prefix from Raymond/South Bend or use the 484 prefix from Naselle.