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Sign up by March 26 for free pesticide disposal at Yakima on May 8

OLYMPIA – With spring starting in less than a week, now is a good time for Yakima area farmers and residents to dispose of any unwanted pesticides as they clean up their storage sheds, barns and garages.

The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) has scheduled a pesticide collection event near Yakima on May 8 to pick up unwanted pesticides. The deadline for signing up for the event is March 26.

“This free service helps protect public health, keep our water clean and guard the natural environment,” said program coordinator Joe Hoffman.

Improper disposal of pesticides can be a threat to human and animal health, harm the natural environment or even saddle a landowner with costly financial liability.

Agricultural and commercial-grade pesticides accepted for disposal include insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, rodenticides and most chemicals that kill, repel or prevent unwanted pests. Customers transport unwanted pesticides to the local collection site where WSDA takes possession. A hazardous waste contractor packs them for safe, legal transportation and disposal. WSDA sponsors the program in cooperation with local agencies and businesses.

Customers will receive supplies necessary to protect broken or leaky containers to ensure safe transportation to the collection site, as well as directions to the site, hours of operation and transportation documents. Customer names do not appear on any manifests or disposal documents. To sign up, call (360) 902-2056, toll free (877) 301-4555 or send an e-mail to wastepesticide@agr.wa.gov.

“As a grower myself, I want to remove from my property pesticides I’m no longer using,” said Mike McCormick, WSDA pesticide disposal specialist from Yakima. Through this disposal program, WSDA has collected some 1.9 million pounds of waste pesticides since 1988.

Empty pesticide containers, fertilizers, motor oil and household hazardous waste are not accepted for disposal by WSDA’s program. Residents can contact their local county solid waste programs or log onto www.earth911.org to learn where to dispose or recycle these materials.

For more information, write Waste Pesticide Program, Washington State Department of Agriculture, PO Box 42589, Olympia, WA 98504-2589 or visit WSDA’s Pesticide Disposal Web site at http://agr.wa.gov/PestFert/Pesticides/WastePesticide.htm.

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