DARKE COUNTY, Ohio -- "A huge success," is how Krista Fourman, Director of the Darke County Solid Waste District described the first-ever household hazardous waste collection day at no cost to residents.

It was held Saturday at the Darke County Fair Grounds in Greenville.

There was a steady flow of residents dropping off paints, cleaners, chemicals, propane tanks, pharmaceuticals, and even mercury for disposal.

An enviromental services company from Cincinnati collected, inspected, removed from the vehicles and will properly destroy tons of residential waste dropped off at the swine barn over the six hour period on Saturday.

About 90 percent of the items brought to the location were paints. Many of the paint cans were rusty and gave the appearance of being very old and had been stored in garages and basements for years.

Twenty employees of the company were wearing white jump suits, gloves and eye protection as they removed the common residential waste containers from vehicles. A few workers were inside the barn wearing protective gas masks dealing with unknown type chemicals that were brought in.

Several hundred feet away, the Greenville Fire Department had a fire truck and several firefighters on the fairgrounds as a precaution.

Representatives from the Darke Co. Homeland Security/Emergency Management Agency were also on site.

According to Fourman, the Darke Co. hazmat team was also on alert that the event was held in case they were needed if a spill would happen to occur.

Waste Day went off without incident.