Clean Sweep Programs - US Environmental Protection Agency

Summary of Oregon Waste Pesticide Disposal ProgramIn 1991, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality conducted its first waste agriculturalpesticide pilot collection event for approximately 40 farmers. A total of 20,000 pounds of waste wascollected. In 1993, the Department conducted a second pilot collection for 318 farmers at two separateevents. A total of 88,374 pounds of pesticides was collected, with an average of 278 pounds per farmer, ata cost of $500,000.Beginning in 1997, the Department began collecting waste pesticides as universal waste in conjunctionwith its household hazardous waste (HHW) and conditionally exempt small quantity hazardous waste(CESQG) collection events. This allowed the same contractor to collect the different waste streams at onelocation, reducing collection costs. Collected agricultural pesticide wastes are not commingled with theCESQG and HHW waste.Primary funding for the Oregon Agricultural Pesticide Collection Program comes from the wastedisposal fee. Agricultural participants and CESQGs are charged $2.40 per pound. Household participantsare not charged a fee for disposing of their wastes.Participation in the pesticide collection program requires a submission of a registration form to theDepartment’s waste contractor. The form requires information on types and estimated weights of thepesticides. The approved registration form serves as a bill of lading for transportation of the waste to thecollection site, where it is compared with the registration information before collection. When possible,waste pesticides are disposed of by incineration.In 1999, the Oregon Department of Agriculture received a $60,000 “Clean Sweep” grant from theEPA, which enabled participants to dispose of their waste pesticides for $1.00 per pound for mostpesticides.Oregon Table 1 - Quantity of Pesticides CollectedYearTotal Quantity ofPesticides (pounds)Quantity of PesticidesCollected inAgricultural Events(pounds)Quantity of PesticidesCollected in ConditionallyExempt Generator Events(pounds)Quantity of PesticidesCollected as HouseholdHazardous Waste (pounds)1991 59,776 20,000 176 39,6001992 58,742 0 7,690 51,0521993 95,773 88,374 1,755 5,6441994 22,072 0 7,447 14,6251995 56,096 36,056 3,617 16,4231996 25,906 0 220 25,6861997 69,206 15,850 2,634 50,7221998 30,056 3,003 5,980 21,0731999 67,017 15,084 443 51,4902000 more than 12,799 12,799 no data no dataTOTAL more than 497,443 191,166 more than 29,962 more than 276,315Information on the number of participants and program cost is not available