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Sign up by Aug. 27 for free pesticide disposal at Pasco on Oct. 4

OLYMPIA – As summer winds down, now is a good time for Tri-Cities area farmers, residents and landowners to inspect their storage sheds, barns, shops and garages for unwanted pesticides and properly dispose of them before winter arrives.

The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) has scheduled a pesticide collection event near Pasco on Oct. 4 to pick up unwanted pesticides. The deadline for signing up for the event is Aug. 27. During the last Tri-Cities collection in 2005, 27 customers brought in 13,000 pounds of unwanted pesticides.

“This free service helps keep our water clean and protects public health and the environment,” said program coordinator Joe Hoffman. “Washington residents can protect their local environment by properly disposing of out-of-date, unusable and unwanted pesticides.”

Improper disposal of pesticides can be a threat to human and animal health, contaminate water 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. Clean Harbors Environmental Services, Inc. segregates and packages the pesticides 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.

Through this disposal program, WSDA has collected nearly two million pounds of waste pesticides since 1988. WSDA regulates the registration, sale and use of pesticides.

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 http://earth911.org/ to learn where to dispose or recycle these materials.

For more information, write to the 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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