More than 166,000 pounds of unwanted or discarded pesticides have been collected during 2019 through an Arkansas Department of Agriculture pesticide collection program.
Launched in 2005, the Agricultural Abandoned Pesticide Program is designed to dispose of unwanted pesticide safely. The anonymous program is free for farmers and non-industrial landowners.
In 2019, the state Department of Agriculture collected 166,376 pounds of pesticides across five counties. The most recent collection was centered around southeast Arkansas and ran from October 28 to November 1.
The counties that participated in the Fall 2019 collection include Ashley, Bradley, Chicot, Drew and Lincoln counties.
Lincoln County had the highest amount of pesticides collected at 108,972 pounds. The next highest was Ashley County at 26,146 pounds. Chicot and Drew counties had similar pesticide collection numbers at 14,982 pounds and 14,886 pounds, respectively. Bradley County had the lowest amount collected at 1,390 pounds.
Ashley County | 26,146 Pounds |
Bradley County | 1,390 Pounds |
Chicot County | 14,982 Pounds |
Drew County | 14,886 Pounds |
Lincoln County | 108,972 Pounds |
Total | 166,376 Pounds |
“The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is proud to administer the Agricultural Abandoned Pesticide Program”, Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward said in a statement. “Events like these ensure safe and proper disposal of unwanted pesticides, preventing them from potentially polluting our environment.”
According to a department release, many of the pesticides collected during the events are outdated pesticides such as calcium arsenate, 2,4,5-T, sodium cyanide, lindane, and chlordane.However, the department also collects pesticides, such as glyphosate products and 2,4-D, that have been rendered unusable after exposure to the elements.
The next schedule pesticide collection is scheduled for Spring 2020. The five counties that have been selected for the program are Arkansas, Desha, Jefferson, Lonoke and Prairie counties.
According to the Department of Agriculture, in Fall 2020, there are 10 counties slated to participate in the Abandoned Pesticide Program. These counties include Cleburne, Faulkner, Fulton, Independence, Izard, Perry, Pulaski, Randolph, Sharp, and White counties.
The list for Spring 2021 includes Crawford, Conway, Franklin, Johnson, Logan, Pope, Scott, Searcy, Sebastian, Stone, Van Buren and Yell counties.
The Fall 2021 list includes Hempstead, Howard, Lafayette, Little Rock, Miller, Montgomery, Nevada, Pike, Polk and Sevier counties.
The Spring 2022 list includes Baxter, Benton, Boone, Carroll, Madison, Marion, Newton and Washington counties.
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