Disposing of household hazardous waste could get easier once Missoula County receives a new self-contained storage facility from U.S. Chemical later this year.

The county last week approved a $163,000 contract with the company, which was selected from a number of qualified bidders.

“Most household hazardous waste storage is operated by landfills. In both Billings and Gallatin, the landfills there have them,” said Todd Seib, the county's environmental health specialist. “We don't have that in Missoula yet, so this is our attempt to bring that type of service to Missoula.”

Seib said U.S. Chemical this year will deliver a 40-foot shipping container specially modified to store hazardous materials. The facility includes a number of separate rooms that can isolate and store various chemicals.

“It also includes secondary storage, so if there was ever a spill it would be self-contained,” Seib said. “It's the industry standard around the county for this type of chemical storage.”

County officials said the facility will likely sit at Home ReSource off Russell Street.

Under the contract, the county will pay $81,900 up front and the remaining amount upon receipt of the container. The facility will operate year-round and is expected to open by the end of the year.

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