WSDA News: Sign up by March 5 for free pesticide disposal near Quincy and Mattawa

Washington State Department of Agriculture News Release:  Feb. 23, 2010 Contact:  Mike Louisell (360) 902-1813 Sign up by March 5 for free pesticide disposal near Quincy and Mattawa Pesticide disposal events planned for early April OLYMPIA - The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) is sponsoring pesticide disposal events for the west Columbia Basin region near Quincy and Mattawa in early April, but the deadline to sign up is approaching fast-March 5. The Quincy event is on April 7, while the waste pesticide collection for Mattawa will be April 8. WSDA is encouraging 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. "These will be the first waste pesticide events for the year," said program coordinator Joe Hoffman. The last formal pesticide collection event for Grant County was in 2006. Spring waste pesticide collection events for 2010 are also scheduled near Yakima, Othello, Okanogan and Wenatchee. 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. Through this program, more than 2.3 million pounds of waste pesticide products 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 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."