Agricultural chemical collection program : EWEB

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Agricultural chemical collection program

Farmers in the McKenzie and Middle Fork Willamette watersheds disposed of more than 17 tons of obsolete pesticides, fertilizer, waste oil, solvents and other chemicals during a first-of-its-kind "roundup" in October and November.

The Eugene Water & Electric Board and other local and state entities organized and sponsored the agricultural chemical disposal effort to help growers get rid of materials that could pose a threat to the sources of drinking water for more than 250,000 people in Eugene, Springfield and other portions of the Southern Willamette Valley.

Five collection events were held this fall at Lane County's Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center in Glenwood. Collectively, more than 50 farmers disposed of:

17,400 lbs. of pesticides;
5,200 lbs. of old fertilizer;
950 gallons of waste oil and solvents; and,
600 gallons of various other chemicals (paints, acids, oxidizers, caustics).

Most of the substances were obsolete or could no longer be used due to environmental regulations prohibiting their use. Until the collection event, most farmers also had few options for disposing of the unwanted chemicals. Many of the chemicals brought to the disposal events had been stored on farms for several decades.

The project was made possible by a grant awarded to EWEB by Gov. Ted Kulongoski. The funds are a portion of the newly created Oregon Governor's Fund for the Environment. EWEB contributed nearly $24,000 in cash and in-kind assistance to the project. Other partners were the Springfield Utility Board, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Lane County Waste Management, OSU Extension Service, Oregon Health Division, McKenzie Fire & Rescue, Mohawk Valley Fire, Springfield Fire & Life Safety, East Lane Soil and Water Conservation District and the Region 2 HazMat team.

If you are interested in learning more about the program, call Karl Morgenstern at (541) 685-7000.

EUGENE WATER & ELECTRIC BOARD