2009 PRESS RELEASES

Click here to e-mail this page to a friend.

July 16, 2009
DATES AND COLLECTION SITES ANNOUNCED FOR 2009 PESTICIDE DISPOSAL PROGRAM
Contact: Elaine Lidholm, 804.786.7686

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) and the Virginia Pesticide Control Board invite farmers, pesticide dealers, pest control firms, homeowners and golf courses to participate in the 2009 pesticide disposal program, which collects unwanted, outdated, or banned pesticides and disposes of them in a safe manner.  VDACS, through its Office of Pesticide Services (OPS), provides this service at no cost to participants in the designated localities.  The program is funded through pesticide product registration fees collected by OPS.

Since its inception, Virginia’s Pesticide Disposal Program has collected and destroyed nearly 1.5 million pounds of outdated and unwanted pesticides, completely eliminating the environmental threat they could have posed.  From 1990 to 1999, VDACS concentrated on a small geographic area of the state each year and sent the contracted disposal company to individual farms and sheds for pickup.  “In those days, some of the materials were dangerous or were in such bad shape that it posed an environmental threat to move them,” said Todd P. Haymore, VDACS Commissioner.  “During those years we collected products that included DDT, arsenic-containing pesticides, toxaphene, dieldrin, silvex and 2,4,5-T.  By 1999 we felt we had safely removed the stores of dangerous pesticides so we began a maintenance plan to ensure that Virginia remains free of stored pesticides.  We now plan rotations that cover the entire state every five years.”

This year, the disposal program takes place in the following localities: the counties of Accomack, Charles City, Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, Franklin, Goochland, Greensville, Hanover, Henrico, Isle of Wight, James City, Poquoson, New Kent, Northampton, Prince George, Powhatan, Southampton, Surry, Sussex and York, and the cities of Chesapeake, Colonial Heights, Emporia, Hampton, Hopewell, Newport News, Norfolk, Petersburg, Portsmouth, Richmond, Suffolk, Virginia Beach and Williamsburg.

Participants must transport their unwanted pesticides to central collection sites located within the service area.  (See list at end of release.)  If participants cannot safely containerize the unwanted pesticides for transport, the disposal contractor will make arrangements to do that for them.  Only unwanted pesticides will be accepted.  Pesticide contaminated material (for example, pesticide contaminated fertilizer) will not be accepted as part of the disposal program.  In addition, the program does NOT accept motor oil, paint, fuel, fertilizer or other chemicals.
 
Participants should complete a pesticide disposal registration form ahead of time and return the completed form to VDACS, PO Box 1163, Richmond Virginia 23218.  The form is available here or by contacting Pesticide Disposal Program at 804.786.3798.

Participants should direct questions to their local Virginia Cooperative Extension agent or to Liza Fleeson at VDACS: liza.fleeson@vdacs.virginia.gov, 804.371.6559, or Liza Fleeson, VDACS’ Office of Pesticide Services, P.O. Box 1163, Richmond, VA 23218.

2009 PESTICIDE DISPOSAL PROGRAM COLLECTION SITES AND SCHEDULE