King County residents can safely and conveniently dispose of old car batteries, oil, paint thinner and many other household hazardous items at no cost when the Wastemobile makes its only stop of the year in Snoqualmie, July 8 to 10.

The Wastemobile will be at Gateway Park, at the intersection of Snoqualmie Parkway and S.R. 202, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

Residents can drop off household hazardous waste items including pesticides, oil-based paints, automotive products (oil, antifreeze, lamps, etc.), fluorescent bulbs and tubes and other items without a charge. The service is pre-paid through garbage and sewer utility fees.

Following its visit to Snoqualmie, the Wastemobile will travel to Redmond, July 15 to 17, for a household hazardous waste collection event at Home Depot, 17777 N.E. 76th St.

Created in 1989, the Wastemobile was the first traveling hazardous waste disposal program in the nation. It is operated by the Local Hazardous Waste Management Program and goes throughout the county from the spring through fall.

Residents help protect the environment and public health by safely disposing of the hazardous materials and keeping them out of drains and landfills. Since first hitting the road, the Wastemobile has collected more than 17,000 tons of hazardous household waste from more than 466,000 customers.

The Wastemobile is now part of LightRecycle Washington, a program to safely collect fluorescent tubes and bulbs that contain mercury. The program is funded through an environmental handling charge that is included in the retail price of these types of lights.

The Wastemobile also provides free reusable products to the public, such as oil-based paint, stain and primer, plus wood care and cleaning products. These products are subject to availability, and residents must sign a release form prior to receiving the materials.

For more information about disposal, including acceptable materials and quantity limits, call the Hazards Line at (206) 296-4692, Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., except holidays. Recorded information is available after hours, or by visiting the Wastemobile website.