Farmers disposing of unwanted pesticides safely

More than 1.4 million pounds of outdated and unwanted pesticides have been collected and destroyed since the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services began the Virginia Pesticide Disposal Program in 1990.

And even more will be collected this year from farmers, pesticide dealers, pest control firms, certified applicators, homeowners and golf course operators.

The program, which collects pesticides and safely disposes of them, is offered at no cost to participants through the VDACS Office of Pesticide Services. It is funded through pesticide product registration fees that agency collects.

This year the disposal program will take place in the counties of Albemarle; Augusta; Bath; Clarke; Culpeper; Fauquier; Fluvanna; Frederick; Greene; Highland; Louisa; Madison; Nelson; Orange; Page; Rappahannock; Rockbridge; Rockingham; Shenandoah; and Warren, and in Buena Vista, Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, Lexington, Staunton, Waynesboro and Winchester.

Participants are asked to complete a pesticide registration form and return the form to VDACS prior to the collection event. The form is available at vdacs.virginia.gov/pesticide-collection.shtml.

Collection sites will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sept. 12 at the Page Cooperative Farm Bureau in Luray; Sept. 13 at the Augusta County Government Center in Verona; Sept. 14 at the Rockingham County Fairgrounds; Sept. 15 at Southern States in Stephens City; Oct. 10 at the Orange Madison Cooperative in Orange; Oct. 11 at the Ivy Materials Utilization Center in Charlottesville; Oct. 12 at CFC Farm & Home Center in Culpeper; and Oct. 13 at CFC Farm & Home Center in Sperryville.