Orange County schedules hazardous waste drop-offs in Newburgh, New Hampton

Orange County residents can drop off household hazardous waste this weekend in Newburgh, then again in New Hampton next month, with the county accepting paints, car batteries, adhesives, pesticides and Operation Safe Scripts pharmaceutical drop-offs at no-cost collection events built to keep dangerous materials out of everyday trash streams.

The first resident event runs Saturday, April 18, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Delano Hitch Recreation Center, 401 Washington Street in Newburgh. Residents must bring a valid ID showing Orange County residency. The second resident collection is scheduled for Saturday, May 9, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Orange County Transfer Station #1, also known as the Maintenance Garage, at 21 Training Center Lane in New Hampton. Both events will take place rain or shine.

County officials said wet latex, acrylic and water-based paint are now accepted, a change that widens the list of materials homeowners can clear out safely. Not accepted are electronics, explosives, propane tanks, medical sharps and controlled substances, items that must be handled through other disposal channels.

The county framed the collections as a public safety and environmental service, one that helps residents get rid of potentially harmful chemicals without risking contamination at home or at the transfer station. Orange County’s Division of Environmental Facilities & Services oversees hazardous waste disposal and operates solid waste collection facilities in New Hampton, Newburgh and Port Jervis, giving the county a direct role in managing what it says are some of the most troublesome household discards.

The program also reached beyond households. On Friday, April 17, Orange County held a separate pre-registered hazardous waste event in Newburgh for school districts, farms, municipalities and businesses that qualified as conditionally exempt small-quantity generators. County registration materials said those generators could transport up to 220 pounds of hazardous waste under New York State Department of Environmental Conservation rules.

The collections are sponsored by Orange County Department of Public Works’ Division of Environmental Facilities & Services, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, PaintCare and County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus, with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation as co-sponsor. For residents clearing garages, sheds and medicine cabinets, the county is offering a practical disposal option that turns problem waste into a scheduled drop-off instead of a lingering hazard.