Pennsylvania's CHEMSWEEP to Offer Safe Pesticide Disposal for 21 Counties in 2010

HARRISBURG, Pa., March 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Agricultural businesses and residents in 21 Pennsylvania counties will soon be able to dispose of unwanted pesticides safely and easily through the CHEMSWEEP program, Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said today.

The Department of Agriculture plans to offer CHEMSWEEP services in Allegheny, Beaver, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Carbon, Centre, Chester, Columbia, Delaware, Elk, Jefferson, Lancaster, Montgomery, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder, Sullivan, Union, Washington and York counties. The program is offered in different counties each year and is funded through annual registration fees paid by pesticide manufacturers and applicators.

"Protecting the environment is an important issue for those in the agricultural industry and many Pennsylvanians homeowners," said Redding. "CHEMSWEEP is a safe, legal way to dispose of pesticides. Since the program began in 1993, Pennsylvanians have properly disposed of more than 1.8 million pounds of pesticides."

Licensed pesticide applicators in agribusinesses and commercial enterprises from the designated counties are eligible to participate by completing the CHEMSWEEP registration/inventory form that will be direct-mailed. The registration period will end June 15.

To obtain CHEMSWEEP forms or to find additional information, visit www.agriculture.state.pa.us and click on "Programs" and search "CHEMSWEEP."

CHEMSWEEP will cover the disposal cost for the first 2,000 pounds per participant. Those with waste pesticides exceeding 2,000 pounds will be responsible for the additional cost and will be billed by the contractor at the department's contracted price. An independent contractor hired by the Department of Agriculture will collect and package all waste pesticides primarily for incineration at facilities approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Homeowners can use CHEMSWEEP by participating in the Department of Environmental Protection's Household Hazardous Waste, or HHW, collection events in counties where the Agriculture department and the contracted pesticide disposal contractor is partnered with DEP.

CHEMSWEEP provides funding only for the pesticides collected at partnering HHW events. However, counties may hold independent collection events in which homeowners may participate if they do not live in one of the 21 participating CHEMSWEEP counties.

For more information regarding the Household Hazardous Waste collection program, call 1-800-346-4242 or visit www.depweb.state.pa.us and select "DEP Programs A-Z," then "Household Hazardous Waste."

Media contact: Jean Kummer, 717-787-5085

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture