Pesticide/Chemical Collections Events Set for North Country

"CleanSweepNY" Events Focus on St. Lawrence, Jefferson, Lewis, Herkimer and Oneida Counties

ALBANY, NY (08/23/2010)(readMedia)-- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis announced that the fall CleanSweepNY collection program will take place Oct. 19-21 in DEC's Region 6, which covers St. Lawrence, Jefferson, Lewis, Herkimer and Oneida counties.

CleanSweepNY provides businesses, farms and institutions with an opportunity to ensure proper disposal of unwanted and/or obsolete pesticides and other chemicals, including elemental mercury, to help provide a healthy and sustainable New York. CleanSweepNY programs are not available to homeowners and registration is required (more details below).

This fall's collection event is the fourteenth since the program's inception in 2002. To date, CleanSweepNY has collected and disposed of over 1,015,432 pounds of hazardous chemicals, more than 657 pounds of elemental mercury, and over 4,000 plastic pesticide containers for recycling that would have otherwise wound up in landfills.

"New York's CleanSweep program is an effective tool that brings the resources to properly collect and dispose of pesticides, chemicals and their containers to the professionals that use and store these materials," Commissioner Grannis said. "We look forward to another successful event and thank our partners for their work in educating the public about the ability to reduce and recycle containers of chemicals."

CleanSweepNY is administered by DEC in collaboration with the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) which provides sites for the collection of these unwanted chemical materials. The program is supported by Cornell Cooperative Extension, the Agricultural Container Recycling Council, NYS Green Industry, Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Farm Bureau and related grower associations.

Acting DOT Commissioner Stanley Gee said, "At the Department of Transportation, we strive to develop projects and programs and provide services that are environmentally friendly and help reduce transportation's carbon footprint. Providing locations for CleanSweepNY collections is another small way we can help the environment and promote proper disposal of chemicals across New York State."

CleanSweepNY is directed at agricultural and non-agricultural professional pesticide applicators, schools and business users such as golf courses, cemeteries, and marinas. Additionally, empty, triple-rinsed HDPE-2 plastic pesticide containers and nursery pots will be collected and recycled. Drop-off locations are planned at DOT facilities in Potsdam, Lowville, and Herkimer.

CleanSweepNY is an Environmental Benefit Project initially established with approximately $2.2 million from several enforcement settlements in DEC's Pesticides Management program.

Registration packets will be mailed to potential participants upon request. To request a packet or to get more information, visit http://www.cleansweepny.org or call toll free: 1-877-SWEEPNY.