Peace Garden News

Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring has announced that the Project Safe Send program will be accepting unusable pesticides at 12 collection sites throughout July. This initiative is open to farmers, ranchers, pesticide dealers and applicators, government agencies, homeowners, and the general public.

Goehring stated, “Over the past 33 years, thousands of people have brought more than 6.4 million pounds of chemicals to Project Safe Send. It is a safe, simple and non-regulatory program that helps people safely and legally get rid of unusable pesticides at no charge.”

The program accepts various types of old or banned pesticides such as herbicides, insecticides, rodenticides, and fungicides. The funding for Project Safe Send comes from product registration fees paid by pesticide manufacturers.

Goehring advised participants to inspect their storage areas for any unusable pesticides and prepare them for collection. “If the containers are deteriorating or leaking, pack them in larger containers with absorbent materials,” he said. Free heavy-duty plastic bags can be obtained from the North Dakota Department of Agriculture if necessary.

Participants with over 1,000 pounds of pesticides are required to pre-register. The maximum amount accepted per participant is 5,000 pounds with a limit of one shuttle each. Pesticide distributors and agronomy centers are restricted to 3,000 pounds and must also pre-register if they plan to bring the maximum allowed amount.

For pre-registration details or to obtain plastic bags or further information about the program, Lilliann Johnston at the North Dakota Department of Agriculture can be contacted at 701-328-2980 or lfjohnston@nd.gov.

The collections will take place from 8 a.m. to noon local time at designated North Dakota Department of Transportation facilities across several cities on specified dates in July.