2007 PRESS RELEASES

August 16, 2007
DATES AND COLLECTION SITES ANNOUNCED FOR 2007 PESTICIDE DISPOSAL PROJECT
Contact: Marion Horsley, 804.225.3820

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) and the Virginia Pesticide Control Board invite agricultural producers, licensed pesticide dealers and pest control firms, golf courses and homeowners to participate in the 2007 pesticide disposal program, which collects unwanted, outdated, or banned pesticides and disposes of them in a safe manner. 

The disposal program will accept only pesticides including herbicides, insecticides, weed and feed, fungicides, etc.  According to VDACS officials, this is not a household hazardous waste program and will NOT accept batteries, paint, oil, fertilizer or any other waste products.  Anyone with questions regarding acceptable items for disposal in this program should contact their local county Extension agent or Liza Fleeson at 804.371.6561 or liza.fleeson@vdacs.virginia.gov.

VDACS, through its Office of Pesticide Services (OPS), provides this service at no cost to participants.  The program is funded through pesticide product registration fees collected by OPS.

This year’s program will provide collection sites in the following areas: 
For the counties of Amherst and Bedford, and the city of Lynchburg
Tuesday Sept. 11, 2007
May's Farmer Service, 1600 Campbell Avenue, Lynchburg, VA 24501, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

For the counties of Appomattox, Campbell and Charlotte
Wednesday Sept. 12, 2007
Crop Production Service, 137 Hamlett Road , Red House, VA  23963, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

For the counties of Prince Edward, Nottoway and Amelia
Thursday Sept. 13, 2007
Southern States, 105 North Agnew Street, Burkeville, VA 23922, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

For the counties of Cumberland and Buckingham
Friday Sept. 14, 2007
John Randolph Fire Station, 2145 Cumberland Road, Farmville, VA  23901, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

For the counties of Franklin, Patrick and Henry and the city of Martinsville
Tuesday Sept. 18, 2007
Water Waste Facility, Water Plant Road, Ridgeway, VA 24148, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

For Pittsylvania County and the city of Danville
Wednesday Sept. 19, 2007
Southern States-Chatham Cooperative, 968 Halifax Road, Chatham, VA  24531, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm

For the counties of Lunenburg, Mecklenburg and Brunswick
Thursday Sept. 20, 2007
Crop Protection Service, 501 West Danville Street, South Hill, VA 23920, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

For Halifax County and the town of South Boston
Friday Sept. 21, 2007
Halifax County Landfill, 1001 Farmway Lane, Halifax, VA  24558, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

According to VDACS, pesticides should remain in their original containers and should be transported in the bed of a truck or the trunk of a car.  Bags or containers which are intact and not leaking can be placed in a cardboard box for transport.  Assuming bags or containers are intact, simply washing hands with soap and water after handling is sufficient.  If any bags or containers are torn or leaking, the torn bag or leaking containers should be placed inside leak proof containers for transport.  In this case, the use of gloves would be prudent, followed by washing hands with soap and water. 

The Pesticide Disposal Program is a cooperative program of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Virginia Pesticide Control Board, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Virginia Cooperative Extension and the Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services.  Participants may register by contacting their local Extension agents or by calling VDACS’ Office of Pesticide Services at 804/371-8598, preferably at least 30 days prior to the collection in each area.  Participants should complete a registration form which may be accessed by clicking here.