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Sign up by Aug. 6 for free pesticide disposal at Puyallup

Washington State Department of Agriculture pesticide disposal event set for Aug. 31

OLYMPIA — The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) is sponsoring a free pesticide disposal event at Puyallup next month, but the deadline to sign up is approaching fast—Aug. 6.

The Puyallup event will take place Aug. 31. WSDA staff sets sign-up deadlines to respond to farm or business site visit requests and plan for an efficient collection event.

WSDA encourages farmers, businesses, residents and landowners to inspect their storage sheds, barns, shops and garages and look for agricultural and commercial-grade pesticide products that are no longer needed or wanted. Participants turned over 167,000 pounds of unwanted pesticides to WSDA last year, including 3,300 pounds from the 2009 collection at Puyallup.

Other scheduled WSDA pesticide collection events for the year include Vancouver on Sept. 14, Pasco on Sept. 28 and Spokane on Oct. 5. (Note: The Spokane event has been canceled. Call WSDA at (360) 902-2056 if you have questions.)

Agricultural and commercial-grade pesticide products 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.

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 retained documents. Upon request, WSDA will provide free 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, contact the Waste Pesticide Program, Washington State Department of Agriculture, P.O. Box 42589, Olympia, WA 98504-2589 or visit the WSDA Web site at agr.wa.gov and click on "Pesticides and Fertilizers."

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