Countywide

San Diego County residents with unwanted hazardous materials can now have them picked up free under a new county program that began Wednesday. The program is intended both to reduce the amount of hazardous materials in households and to dispose of them properly.

Residents desiring the new service should call the county Health Department between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Health officers will arrange for the materials to be picked up for either recycling or disposal. Because the materials are deemed hazardous, a household member must be at home when the pickup takes place, Gary Stephany, health officer in charge of environmental protection, said.

The program will also include efforts to show residents how to lessen the amount of hazardous materials they have on hand, such as cleansers and paints, by knowing how to buy proper amounts. The program will also teach methods of safe handling and storage.

During recent instances of the commercial release of hazardous materials, Stephany has said that the widespread existence of such materials in residential areas also represents a health problem.