| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | CONTACT: Levi Ostberg |
| August 28, 2006 | (406) 444-5400 |
Pesticide Disposal Offered in North Central Montana
HELENA, Mont. — Pesticide users who have old insecticides, herbicides, rodent poisons or fungicides lying around unused can dispose of them this September at three locations in North Central Montana.
The Montana Department of Agriculture will hold its annual waste pesticide collection in Havre on September 19, 2006, in Shelby on September 21, and in Great Falls on September 22. The nonregulatory, service program enables agricultural producers, businesses and other pesticide users to dispose of unusable chemicals safely, economically and conveniently.
"Old pesticides can pose an increasing risk to people, pets, livestock and the environment. Responsible use of pesticides requires that they be stored and used properly, and that we safely dispose of crop chemicals that are no longer useful," says Nancy K. Peterson, director of the Montana Department of Agriculture.
Old containers can corrode and leak. Fire or flooding can cause releases that contaminate soils and groundwater, requiring costly cleanup.
Unusable pesticides are those that cannot be applied because the registration has been canceled, such as DDT, EDB, dinoseb, chloridane, endrin or mercury. The program also accepts products that cannot be used because of product age, storage conditions, or loss of label.
Fertilizers, motor oils, solvents, and paints cannot be accepted at the pesticide collections.
The program has a fee of $1 per pound for the first 200 pounds, and 50 cents per pound for additional amounts over 200 pounds. Disposal by other services can cost 5 to 10 times more.
Participants are required to pre-register so that the program can be operated safely, efficiently and with minimal congestion at the collection sites. Directions to the sites and the time for participants to arrive will be mailed to participants after pre-registration forms are received. Pre-registration forms must be returned by Tuesday, September 12th.
Information about the safe transportation of pesticides to the collection site will be provided.
Registration forms are available by contacting Levi Ostberg in Helena at (406) 444-5400; by mail at Department of Agriculture, Pesticide Disposal Program, P.O. Box 200201, Helena, MT 59620-0201; or by e-mail at lostberg@mt.gov.
Additional information is available online at http://agr.mt.gov/pestfert/disposal.asp.
