Clean Sweep Programs - US Environmental Protection Agency

Summary of Arkansas Waste Pesticide Disposal ProgramThe Department of Pollution and Ecology conducted an amnesty program in 1992 and collected5,000 pounds of agricultural pesticides. Currently the State Plant Board, which functions like the Departmentsof Agriculture in many other states, is the lead agency for pesticide regulation in general and forpesticide disposal programs.In November 2000, the Plant Board, in cooperation with the University of Arkansas CooperativeExtension Agency, Farm Bureau, Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, and the Benton County ofEnvironmental Services, collected and disposed of 30,689 pounds of pesticides in a pilot program. Thepilot was funded by the State’s General Fund. Only farmers participated in the pilot, but the State PlantBoard anticipates that future programs will be open to the public. In March 2001, the Arkansas GeneralAssembly established the Abandoned Pesticide Disposal Program and authorized the Plant Board to collect$50 per registered product per year to fund the program beginning in 2002. Another collection in BentonCounty will be held in 2001. The program is expected to be run statewide in 2003.Arkansas Table 1 - Quantity of Pesticides CollectedYearQuantity of Pesticides(pounds)1992 5,0002000 30,689TOTAL 35,689Information on the number of participants andprogram cost is not available.