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Disposal events planned for April 22 - 23
Sign up by March 10 for free pesticide disposal at Dayton and Pullman

OLYMPIA – The first Eastern Washington pesticide disposal events of 2008 sponsored by the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) will take place in late April.

Farmers, businesses, residents and landowners are now cleaning and inspecting their storage sheds, barns, shops and garages for unwanted pesticides. WSDA’s collection events are a cost-free and liability-free opportunity to get rid of these potentially hazardous materials.

The WSDA has scheduled collection events near Pullman on April 22 and Dayton on April 23 to gather unwanted pesticide products. The deadline to sign up for the events is March 10. WSDA conducted the last collection events in these areas in 2005.

“This free service helps Washington residents protect their local environment by properly disposing of damaged, unusable and unwanted pesticides,” said program coordinator Joe Hoffman. “Proper disposal helps keep our water clean and protects public health. Once a pesticide becomes unusable, it is no longer an asset and becomes an unwanted liability in the storage shed.”

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 company works with WSDA at the collection site to segregate and package the pesticides for safe, legal transportation and disposal. WSDA sponsors the program in cooperation with local agencies and businesses.

Through this program, more than two million pounds of waste pesticides have been collected and properly disposed of since 1988. WSDA also regulates the registration, sale and use of pesticides.

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 retained documents. Upon request, WSDA will provide assistance at a customer’s property to help inventory unwanted pesticides and package leaky containers. To sign up, call (360) 902-2056, (877) 301-4555 (toll free) or send an e-mail to wastepesticide@agr.wa.gov.

Empty pesticide containers, fertilizers, motor oil and household hazardous waste are not accepted for disposal by WSDA’s program. Contact your local solid waste program for assistance with these other items.

For more information, write the Waste Pesticide Program, Washington State Department of Agriculture, P.O. Box 42589, Olympia, WA 98504-2589 or visit the WSDA Web site at  www.agr.wa.gov and click on “Pesticides and Fertilizers.”
 

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