LDAF to hold unwanted pesticide collection day Nov. 9 in Franklinton
For immediate release: October 26, 2022
BATON ROUGE – Agricultural producers, pesticide applicators, and homeowners can drop off unwanted pesticides during the Unwanted Pesticide Pick-Up day on Nov. 9, 2022, from 7 a.m. until 1 p.m. at LSU AgCenter Southeast Research Station (SERS), 41217 Bethel Road in Franklinton.
The Unwanted Pesticide Pick-Up Program, sponsored by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, provides individuals who need assistance with disposing of pesticide products properly.
Unwanted Pesticides will be collected for disposal at no cost to producers, applicators, or homeowners, and it is completely anonymous for those who wish to participate. This is a pesticide-only disposal pick-up event. Fumigants, waste oils, paints, and gasoline/diesel will not be accepted.
“Farmers and commercial pesticide users generally cannot dispose of pesticides in household hazardous waste programs making this an important service for LDAF to provide to those who need to get rid of unwanted pesticide or agricultural products,” said Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Mike Strain, D.V.M. “Improperly disposed of pesticide wastes can create serious hazards for the environment. As always, we work to ensure that the environment and the health of our citizens are protected by providing individuals an opportunity to properly dispose of these products.”
All pesticides will be accepted. Containers will be supplied for transportation to the collection site if old containers are damaged. For planning purposes, we strongly encourage an inventory form to be filled out and returned to Bryan Gueltig at bgueltig@agcenter.lsu.edu prior to October 28, 2022. This helps the disposal contractor prepare for the amount of material that is being dropped off. Inventory sheets can be obtained online or from your local LSU AgCenter office.
Currently, in Louisiana, an individual wishing to dispose of pesticide products must contact a licensed contractor for disposal, which results in a costly fee based on pounds of product(s) submitted for disposal. The LDAF program will not require a fee for the disposal of unwanted pesticides. The cost of the program will be funded through fees associated with pesticide manufacturers’ product registrations in Louisiana. All pesticides offered for sale in Louisiana must be registered annually with the LDAF.
The LDAF has retained a licensed contractor for the program. This contractor will assume all responsibility for pesticide products delivered to the designated locations and for disposal.
For more information, call LDAF’s Girvus Johnson at 225-925-3763 or your local LSU AgCenter office.
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