Farmers and ranchers who have old or unwanted pesticides will soon be able to safely dispose of them, with no questions asked.  The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry will hold an Unwanted Pesticide Collection event at the Pontotoc County Fair Grounds in Ada on November 15.  

When pesticides become unusable as originally intended, they are considered unwanted pesticides. Leftover pesticides that have a limited shelf life may undergo changes rendering them unusable. Pesticides also become unusable when they are no longer registered in the state of Oklahoma. Waste pesticides can also result from lost labels and pesticides are no longer identifiable. In an effort to reduce potential hazards and harm to the environment, the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture funds several unwanted pesticide disposal events each year.  In 2010, more than 150,000 pounds of pesticide were collected in Oklahoma.    
 
The collection effort on November 15 will start at 8:00 am and be open until 1:00 pm.  This program will take any unwanted pesticides for free, up to 2,500 pounds of chemical.  Only pesticides will be accepted.  Fertilizers, unless they are a weed and feed product, waste, oil and paint will not be accepted.  All containers five gallon and smaller can be placed in a plastic bucket or Rubbermaid container to be transported. If you have more than five gallons of chemicals, please contact Charles Luper, OSU Pesticide Safety Education Program at (405) 744-5808 for transportation options before moving the containers.
 
Pesticides with a missing label or unknown pesticides can be accepted into the disposal program. In most cases, the hazardous waste contractor can characterize the waste at the collection site. Large volumes of an unknown pesticide may require analysis before acceptance into the disposal collection. The participant should be reasonably sure that the unknown material is a pesticide, and provide any other information about the material.
 
Oklahoma commercial and non-commercial applicators and pesticide dealers may participate as well as Oklahoma farmers and ranchers. There is no cost for the first 2,500 pounds of pesticides brought in by a participant. Participants will however be charged $1/pound for anything over 2,500 pounds except in the case of mercury based pesticides.  Mercury based pesticides will cost participants $2.22/pound for disposal.  Payment in the form of check or credit card only will be accepted at the disposal site.
 
Applicators, farmers, and ranchers are not required to preregister. Dealers are asked to pre-register through OSU Pesticide Safety Education Program due to the potential of large quantities coming from multiple dealers and/or multiple locations. For more information on the unwanted pesticide collection event, please call Sarah Weeks, Ag Business Coordinator at Gordon Cooper Technology Center, 405-273-7493, ext 2311.