Environmental Service Center (South), Key Map 571 C, 11500 South Post Oak Road, Houston, Texas  77035, at 10:00 a.m.

On an annual basis, Houston’s Solid Waste Management Department encounters household chemicals in the garbage cans or under heavy trash piles.  The combination of this household hazardous waste (HHW) can cause severe damage or fatalities.

This press conference is being held on the first day of Spring to alert residents about the dangers of common household chemicals. These hazards can affect residents when cleaning or when items are collected by Solid Waste Management workers.

Just this Tuesday in Fort Worth, Texas Cable News reported a routine bathroom cleaning landed seven people in the hospital.  Firefighters said a man tried to unclog a drain in a home using bleach and drain cleaner. The combination of the chemicals generated a fog of potentially deadly chlorine gas, causing breathing problems for the individuals in the house, and the need to seek treatment at a hospital.