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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - The Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation and Environment is scheduled to reopen all seven of the city's hazardous household waste disposal centers today.
LASAN officials said extra measures for safety and social distancing have been put in place at the Solvents Automotive Flammables and Electronic, or SAFE, centers to protect employees and residents from contamination from either waste or COVID-19.
The centers were closed March 21 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and Mayor Eric Garcetti's Safer at Home order.
Since that time, LASAN said its staff has been working to develop a set of protocols to keep both residents and employees safe when people come to drop off their household hazardous waste.
”We are very confident the new safety procedures will ensure that Angelenos can once again properly and safely dispose of their hazardous waste," said Marisela Reyes, the LASAN solid resources citywide recycling division manager.
Before the pandemic, the SAFE centers processed 11 million pounds of household hazardous waste and e-waste annually, according to LASAN.
Extra safety protocols will take additional time to process, and the bureau asked people to arrive early to compensate for anticipated longer wait times. Wearing face coverings will be mandatory at all times at the centers, and legal waste transportation limits still apply.
Weekend SAFE center hours are for disposal of household hazardous waste only. For disposal of small business hazardous waste, call 213-485-2260 to make an appointment. More information can be found at www.lacitysan.org.