PIKE COUNTY, PA — Agricultural businesses and pesticide applicators in 19 counties across Pennsylvania, including Pike County, can dispose of unwanted pesticides safely and easily next year through the Department of Agriculture’s CHEMSWEEP Program.

“When pesticides outlive their usefulness, they can become a problem,” said Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding. “Rather than leaving them sitting in barns and back rooms as threats to human safety and our environment, we provide this service to each of Pennsylvania’s counties every four years.”

Other counties in which this service will be available next year are Adams, Allegheny, Beaver, Cameron, Carbon, Centre, Chester, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Franklin, Jefferson, Lancaster, Lehigh, Monroe, Northampton, Potter and Washington counties.

More than 2.5 million pounds of unwanted or unusable pesticides have been properly destroyed through the program since it was established in 1993.

Licensed pesticide applicators, pesticide dealers and commercial pesticide application businesses from the designated counties are eligible to participate by completing the CHEMSWEEP registration and inventory form that will be mailed directly to them. The registration period ends February 28.

An independent contractor hired by the state agriculture department collects and packages all waste pesticides at each participating location, primarily for incineration at facilities approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

CHEMSWEEP covers the disposal cost for the first 2,000 pounds per participant. Above that level, participants are billed at the agriculture department’s contracted price.

The program is funded through annual registration fees paid by pesticide manufacturers and applicators.

For more information, visit Agriculture’s CHEMSWEEP Program webpage.