Hazardous waste events coming to Mattawa, Moses Lake
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 10 months, 3 weeks AGO
A Grant County Public Works staffer loads hazardous material drums into a truck at a hazardous waste disposal event.
FILE PHOTO
Joel Martin has been with the Columbia Basin Herald for more than 25 years in a variety of roles and is the most-tenured employee in the building. Martin is a married father of eight and enjoys spending time with his children and his wife, Christina. He is passionate about the paper’s mission of informing the people of the Columbia Basin because he knows it is important to record the history of the communities the publication serves. | October 15, 2025 3:15 AM
EPHRATA — Grant County residents who have chemicals and other things that can’t go in the trash will have a chance to get rid of them this month at two hazardous waste collection events.
The first event will be held Friday, Oct. 24, from noon to 3 p.m. at the Grant County Road District Shop, 24378 Broadway Ave. in Mattawa. The second will be held near Moses Lake on Saturday, Oct. 25, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Grant County Road District No. 2 Shop, 12171 Wheeler Road NE.
The events last several hours, so residents don’t need to get there early, said Solid Waste Programs Coordinator Joan Sieverkropp.
“The longer lines are usually earlier in the morning,” Sieverkropp said. “Most people think that it's going to be faster if they come earlier, and that's not usually the case.”
Collection is free at the events, according to an announcement from the county.
Hazardous products have labels with words such as “danger,” “caustic,” “flammable” and “poison,” according to the announcement. Examples include oil-based paint, automotive oil, paint thinner, rechargeable batteries, solvents, brake fluid, gasoline, aerosols, spot removers, drain openers, insecticides, pesticides, mercury-containing devices such as thermostats and thermometers, mercury-containing lights, swimming pool chemicals and hobby chemicals. Latex paint is also accepted.
Items that will not be accepted include propane tanks, lead acid batteries, alkaline batteries, LiFePO4 batteries, Li-ion batteries larger than 300 watts, incandescent bulbs and LED bulbs. Other items not accepted include agricultural waste, commercial waste, explosives, ammunition, asbestos, radioactive material, cylinders, poison gases, refrigerant compressors, empty containers, leaking containers and containers larger than 5 gallons. Fluorescent light tubes should not be secured with tape.
Products should be brought in original labeled containers if possible and packed to prevent spills during transportation. Gasoline containers will not be returned.
The collection is only for household waste, Sierverkropp said, and county officials will screen vehicles to make sure no commercial or agricultural waste or other prohibited items are brought in.
“I have been known to send people on their way because it doesn't meet (the requirements),” she said.
Once it’s collected, the hazardous waste is turned over to a private contractor, Clean Harbors, for packaging and removal, Sieverkropp said. Depending on the product, it may be incinerated or recycled, but in all cases, it’s removed far from Grant County. None of it goes into local landfills, she said.
The event is sponsored by Grant County and the Department of Ecology. For more information, call Grant County Solid Waste at 509-754-6082 ext. 3508.
Hazardous Waste Collections
Mattawa
Noon to 3 p.m. Oct. 24
Grant County Road District Shop
24378 Broadway Ave.
Moses Lake
9 a.m.-2 p.m. Oct. 25
Grant County Road District No. 2 Shop
12171 Wheeler Road NE
ARTICLES BY JOEL MARTIN
Quincy National Night Out scales down
QUINCY — Quincy’s National Night Out was more compact this year, which worked out well, said QPD Sgt. Joe Westby, who’s in charge of event planning for the Quincy Police Department. “National Night Out is a big event, and the fact that we’re able to shrink it up is like a breath of fresh air,” Westby said. “If you're always doing the same thing, it's kind of nice to switch things up and see how it works.” National Night Out took place Thursday on the block of C Street next to the police station, a shift from previous years when it was held at Lauzier Park. The smaller space meant fewer emergency vehicles for children to explore, but it also meant less walking for attendees. Grant County Fire District 5 brought a fire truck, and the Grant County Sheriff’s Office had a patrol boat. Renew, the Grant County behavioral health agency, had a booth and so did Quincy Partnership for Youth. Veterans Operation Creation sang the national anthem, and the Quincy Animal Shelter brought kittens that piled over each other making friends with passersby. As before, the QPD served grilled hot dogs.
Quincy Police retirements leave big shoes to fill
QUINCY — There are some big shoes to fill at the Quincy Police Department. “We’re losing 48 years of experience between them,” Quincy Police Chief Ryan Green said at the retirement party for Capt. Jorge Trujillo and Det. Damon Powell Thursday. Trujillo, who grew up in Sunnyside, has been with QPD for 19 years, he said, coming on as a patrol officer fresh out of the military. From there he served as a field training officer, a detective and finally captain. “I consider him my left-hand man,” Green said. “He runs the operations side of the house … He knows the agency very well, and he knows the community.” Trujillo has some projects around the house to tackle now that he’s retired, he said.
Big fun on a small scale
Wheat Land Communities’ Fair opens Thursday
RITZVILLE — The Wheat Land Communities’ Fair isn’t as big or as flashy as some of the county fairs around central Washington, but the folks who keep it going like it just the way it is. “It’s somewhere you can go and get an old-time traditional feeling, and you’re comfortable letting your kids roam the grounds and experience all that it has to offer,” said Board Member Lori Williams. “It’s more of a feeling than (one) specific thing,” The fair starts Thursday in Ritzville and runs through Sunday. Starting Friday, the 56th Ritzville Rodeo will take place alongside the fair at the rodeo grounds. This year the entertainment budget was expanded, Williams said, to be able to offer more fun that’s covered by the cost of admission. For the kids, there’s face painting, balloon art, Lego crafts, races, contests and games. Children can also ride on a little train towed around the fairgrounds behind a tractor.