![]() Participants are responsible for safely loading and transporting waste pesticides to the collection site. The contractor’s disposal costs are on a per-pound basis, in addition to a base setup fee. The hazardous waste contractor weighs the pesticides after they are transported to the processing facility and records the amount and type of material collected. A simple count of vehicles and the county of origin are recorded, to determine geographical areas of need for future events. Participants are not asked to complete a survey or questionnaire, and no personal information is collected from participants. To date, this method has worked well in Mississippi, with widespread participation and a general understanding of how the collection events work. As a result, one event must be held and the product measured for payment before another event can be planned. For example, if an event held in mid-November is very successful with many people participating, there may be limited funds for subsequent events.īecause farmers and landowners are not required to preregister or sign up in advance, coordinators do not know how much product to expect for each collection event. The number of events each year depends on the quantity of product collected at the first and subsequent events. While there is no guaranteed funding for this program, funds have been provided by MDEQ with assistance from MDAC year to year since 2000 to host two to three events per year. Events are held in easy-to-access locations and are publicized in the surrounding counties, so they usually attract farmers from nearby counties. There is no charge to the farmer or landowner to participate. There is no limit to the age of the agricultural chemical accepted for disposal. Waste pesticides such as insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides are accepted at these events, along with plant growth regulators and surfactants. From 2000 to March 2019, just over 1.6 million pounds of waste agricultural chemicals were collected and properly disposed of, bringing the total pounds collected since the program’s inception to 2.45 million (Table 1).Īgricultural waste pesticide collection events are one-day events, usually held in the fall and early winter after harvest and before spring planting begins. ![]() The program resumed in 2000 and has been carried out since by MSU Extension with assistance from the MDAC Bureau of Plant Industry. The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) provided funds for the waste pesticide disposal program through the Nonpoint Source Program of the Clean Water Act. With support from MDAC, MSU Extension faculty in the agricultural and biological engineering department led the effort to secure funds for additional events in 2000. However, continued requests from farmers demonstrated that there was still a need for a waste pesticide disposal program. During this time, 38 one-day pesticide disposal events were held, collecting approximately 816,000 pounds of waste pesticides.Īfter the law was repealed in 1998, there was no dedicated source of funding for events. During the time this law was enacted, and with support from leading agricultural and environmental agencies, the Mississippi State University Extension Service worked with the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC) Bureau of Plant Industry to run the program. This law went into effect on July 1, 1993, and was repealed on J(Miss. To help address these issues, the Mississippi Legislature passed a law in 1993 directing an increase in the manufacturer’s pesticide registration fee, a portion of which was to be used to fund a waste pesticide disposal program. People may dispose of waste pesticides improperly or store them indefinitely because it is costly to dispose of them through a hazardous waste contractor or because hazardous waste facilities are inconveniently located. If these products are not properly disposed of, they pose a risk to water quality, surrounding natural resources, and public health, especially in the event of a fire, leak, accidental poisoning, or severe weather event. These products can be acquired unknowingly when a new property is purchased, or when a loved one passes away and relatives discover unused chemicals. Waste pesticides are sometimes left over at the end of a growing season or when a product’s label is suspended, canceled, or expired.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |