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Accepted materials for the event can be found at https://agr.mt.gov/Pesticide-Waste-Disposal-Program.
The Montana Department of Agriculture is hosting a pesticide waste disposal event on Friday, September 22, at the Three Forks Airport.
In one of four events this September in Montana, common pesticides disposed of include DDT, pentachlorophenol, dinoseb, and strychnine.
Since the inception of the waste disposal invents in 1994, more than 796,000 pounds of pesticide waste have been collected from more than 1,871 participants.
According to Carli Davis of the Montana Department of Agriculture Pesticide Disposal and Container Recycling Programs, disposal events are very important.
"Montana has very limited options to get rid of these products, so this program is one way of assuring the waste product is properly disposed of in an environmentally friendly way," Davis said.
The cost for disposal is free for the first 200 pounds. Amounts that exceed 200 pounds will be charged $1 per pound, with a minimum charge of $5. The fee for pesticides containing dioxins, dioxin precursors, or any product requiring special packing at the site may incur higher costs.
Those attending must pay with a check made to the Montana Department of Agriculture.
The deadline to register is September 14. To register, please visit https://agr.mt.gov/Pesticide-Waste-Disposal-Program. Those registering should be specific about products being disposed of and prepared for an on-site inspection. Materials accepted for disposal at the event are pesticides, pesticide mixes, unknown pesticides, and metal pesticide containers.
Materials that are not accepted are empty plastic containers, fertilizers, loaded M-44 predator baits, fumigant gases, solvents, paints, oil, and pharmaceuticals.
Davis said the locations for the event change every year.
"The Department of Agriculture divides the state into three districts: The Western District, the Central District, and the Eastern District. We hold events in one district per year, and we pick four to five locations within that district every year to have collection events. So, in 2023, the 4 four locations will be in the western district; in 2024, the events will be in the central district, and in 2025 the events will be in the eastern district," Davis said.
