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Farmers in Stanislaus County encouraged to drop off unwanted pesticides at free event on Oct. 30 in Modesto

Release Date: 10/29/2014
Contact Information: Suzanne Skadowski, 415-972-3165, skadowski.suzanne@epa.gov

SAN FRANCISCO – Farmers in Stanislaus County, Calif. can bring their obsolete and unwanted pesticides to the Stanislaus County Agricultural Commissioner's Office at a free pesticides collection event on Thursday October 30, 2014. The event, which is by appointment only, will be held 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the County Agricultural Commissioner's Office, 3800 Cornucopia Way, Modesto, Calif.

Funded by a $100,000 federal grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the agricultural commissioner is hosting the 1-day event to help farmers safely dispose of unwanted pesticides. The commissioner invited more than 2,500 permitted growers to participate in the event and expects more than 100 registered growers will safely dispose of over 2,000 gallons and 7,000 pounds of unwanted pesticides.

EPA’s pesticides program funds pesticides collection events throughout the Pacific Southwest that have been extremely successful in collecting and disposing of obsolete or unwanted pesticides from growers. A past collection event on the Arizona-Mexico border collected 138,000 pounds and 500 gallons of waste pesticides. Pesticides, when not properly stored, can break down and materials can leak and be released to the environment. Local collection events provide an opportunity for growers to reduce their risk of potential spills or leaks from degrading pesticides.

For more information on the event, contact: Kamaljit Bagri, Stanislaus County Deputy Agricultural Commissioner/Sealer 209-525-4730

Learn more about safe pesticides collection and disposal at: https://www.epa.gov/pesticides/regulating/storage.htm