FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 12/15/2020
CONTACT: Amy Lyman, (501) 219-6323, amy.lyman@agriculture.arkansas.gov
694,387 Pounds of Pesticides Collected Through 2020 Agricultural Abandoned Pesticide Program
Over 5.1 Million Pounds of Pesticides Collected Since 2005
LITTLE ROCK, AR – The Agricultural Abandoned Pesticide Program collected 694,387 pounds of unwanted pesticides in ten counties during 2020 collection events. Since 2005, the Agricultural Abandoned Pesticide Program has overseen the collection of 5,125,965 pounds of unwanted pesticides in counties across Arkansas.
“The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is proud to work with our partners in administering the Agricultural Abandoned Pesticide Program,” says Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward. “Events like these, held annually throughout the state, help ensure safe and proper disposal of unwanted pesticides and prevent them from potentially polluting our environment.”
Participation in collection events is free and anonymous to farmers and other non-industrial landowners. The program is funded through pesticide registration fees. Pesticide collection events have taken place in every county in the state.
Commonly collected items include old or outdated pesticides such as calcium arsenate, 2,4,5-T, sodium cyanide, lindane, and chlordane. Registered pesticides, like glyphosate products and 2,4-D, that are unusable because they have been exposed to the elements or have been held over from previous growing seasons also can be collected.
The Spring (March 9 - March 13) and Fall (November 2 - November 6) collection events were held in the following ten counties: Arkansas, Cleburne, Desha, Faulkner, Jefferson, Lonoke, Perry, Prairie, Pulaski, and White.
The Agricultural Abandoned Pesticide Program is conducted in cooperation with the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, Arkansas Farm Bureau, and the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment. Representatives from these agencies make up the Abandoned Pesticide Advisory Board. This board selects county sites for collection events. Priority watersheds are a large consideration for the Advisory Board in choosing counties/regions for site collection.
Find more information about the Arkansas Department of Agriculture and its programs and services at www.agriculture.arkansas.gov.