2/3/2014
Reed Hollinshead
ITD Communication
208-334-8881
reed.hollinshead@itd.idaho.gov
ITD Weiser maintenance shed contributes to environmental stewardship
BOISE - For the past several years, the Idaho Transportation Department's Weiser maintenance shed has served as a free regional collection site for citizens to bring waste pesticides for pickup by the Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA). The effort keeps those items from entering the landfill, or worse still, the environment at large.
ISDA collects and disposes of unusable pesticides safely. The pesticides are packed, categorized and shipped to an EPA-approved incinerator where they are destroyed. Since the program started in 1993, ISDA has safely collected and disposed of more than 1.5 million pounds of unusable pesticides, said Vic Mason, Program Manager.
Last year, they collected approximately 10,500 lbs. of pesticides at the Weiser site, and more than 186,500 lbs. statewide, with collections in spring, and in early and late fall. Collections in mid-May are slated for Nampa, Weiser, Lewiston and Coeur d'Alene. In September and October, ISDA collections also will take place in Rexburg, Idaho Falls, Blackfoot, American Falls, Burley, Twin Falls, Gooding and Nampa.
Click here for a picture from the May 2011 Weiser pesticide collection.
“This partnership benefits the citizens and the environment we share,” explained Tom Points, ITD southwest Idaho maintenance operations manager. “This is truly a win-win for all involved.”
“Once you have a pesticide, you can't just dump it or throw it in the trash,” said Mason. “This program allows those folks a means to safely dispose of those pesticides in an environmentally-sound manner.”
For more information on the program or collections, please contact Mason at (208) 332-8628.