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Operation Clean House (OCH) has served as an environmentally-friendly beacon in Washington County for 32 years, and 2021 was no different.

Operation Clean House was held on Saturday, Sept. 18 from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Liz Campbell, the Lead Director of OCH, says they collected a ton of hazardous waste and electronic waste at their Bartlesville and Dewey locations this year. Campbell says they took in 14,600 pounds of hazardous waste such as household chemicals and pesticides. She says they collected 38,000 lbs. of electronic waste (i.e. computers, televisions, VCRs, etc.) and over 650 gallons of oil as well.

The oil was re-used at the Washington County District Two barn two miles to the east of Dewey on West 1500 Road.

Almost 100 gallons of anti-freeze was collected during OCH. Campbell says there were even three dump trucks full of appliances that were properly disposed of as well. She says it was amazing to see how much material they prevented from being taken to the landfill this year.

Since 1989, Operation Clean House has collected 367,000 lbs. of hazardous waste. A total of 765,000 lbs. worth of electronics and 11,069 gallons of oil have been taken in over the years as well. These numbers include this year's totals.

A total of 927 vehicles made their way to the two OCH locations this year. Campbell says there were just over 680 cars that came to drop off waste at the Phillips 66 parking lot in Bartlesville. She says they saw 245 vehicles come through the Dewey location.

A significant number of Washington County citizens participated in the event. Campbell applauds the volunteers that came out to help make our neck of the woods cleaner and safer for all to enjoy. She says 105 people volunteered between the two locations and sacrificed 494 hours of their time to create a better environment in Washington County. The 12-plus member planning committee for OCH spent over 250 hours to make sure the event was a success, too.

That time doesn't even include the number of hours Washington County Emergency Management and vendors spent on site to make Operation Clean House possible. Campbell says Truity Credit Union provided paper shredding. She says the event was also possible thanks to sponsors such as Phillips 66, ConocoPhillips, Chevron Phillips, the City of Bartlesville, Washington County, the Cherokee Nation. In-kind donations from Weeze's Cafe, Dink's, Chick-fil-a, Pop's Daylight Donuts, Sal's Daylight Donuts, the Delaware Tribe, and Trans Co.

Thermo Fisher Scientific provided personal protective equipment (PPE) and safety vests for volunteers on site to keep them safe. Campbell praises Washington County Emergency Management for their continued efforts to keep everyone safe during OCH. She says WCEM provided traffic cones, directed traffic, provided cooling centers for volunteers and made sure everything ran smoothly.

Campbell added that the Bartlesville Community Center even came up clutch during the event. She says the BCC provided tables for volunteers when they needed it most.

In 2019, picric acid was brought to Operation Clean House, which cut the event short. The coronavirus pandemic pushed OCH 2020 to September 2021.

Operation Clean House is generally held each year as close to Earth Day as possible. Campbell says they will not be able to turn the event that quickly in 2022, so the next OCH is planned for April 2023. She says they look forward to getting back on track with the timing of the event then.