Structural Pest Control and Pesticides - PDAP

Hurricane Helene Pesticide Cleanup & Disposal Information - Press Release

The Pesticide Disposal Assistance Program (PDAP) is a consumer services program in the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The PDAP, part of the Structural Pest Control and Pesticides Division, is a NON-REGULATORY program that provides cost-free assistance to farmers and homeowners. The goal of the Pesticide Disposal Assistance Program is to assist the citizens of North Carolina by managing and supervising the safe collection and lawful disposal of banned, out-dated, or unwanted pesticides.

Disposal Event Calendar

Program History

In 1976, the North Carolina Pesticide Board adopted North Carolina regulations governing the disposal of pesticides. These regulations make it illegal to dispose of pesticides in sanitary landfills. As a result of the pesticide disposal dilemma for farmers and homeowners, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services created the Pesticide Disposal Assistance Program - the FIRST of its kind in the entire United States.

In 1980, with appropriations from the NC General Assembly, the Pesticide Disposal Assistance Program was created as an environmental stewardship program to provide an available, affordable, and environmentally acceptable option in which any homeowner, farmer, or institution can properly dispose of unwanted or unusable pesticides.

The Program transitioned in January of 1997, from collecting pesticides at the farm sites and at home sites to collecting them at designated locations on special Pesticide Disposal Collection Days with assistance and partnering with the NC Cooperative Extension Service. The Program also began co-sponsoring permanent Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) sites and special single-day HHW Collection events.

During 1999, the Pesticide Disposal Assistance Program sponsored 35 Pesticide Collection events, and assisted with special collections following the destruction of Hurricane Floyd. The PDAP supervised the collection and disposal of 122,783 pounds and 39 drums of pesticide waste. Of this total, 19,404 pounds and 4 drums came from Hurricane Floyd flood damaged pesticides collected in eastern North Carolina.

During 2002, the PDAP continued to receive flood-damaged material from Hurricane Floyd at our normal Pesticide Collection Days, a recurring situation that persisted for several years. In 2002, the Pesticide Disposal Assistance Program safely supervised over 35 collections and managed the regulated disposal of 148,201 pounds and 65 drums of pesticide waste.

Since its inception in 1980, the Pesticide Disposal Assistance Program has properly collected and disposed of almost 3 million pounds of pesticides from North Carolina! Today, the PDAP collects an average of approximately 140,000 pounds of pesticides each year with this past fiscal year’s total reaching almost 150,000 pounds! – the highest fiscal year total in 5 years!

This Program was created as a stewardship program to provide a much needed consumer service to the citizens of North Carolina. According to an EPA publication specifically on Pesticide Disposal/Clean Sweep Programs, 33 additional States began permanent Pesticide Collection programs with 13 others working towards establishing permanent programs in their states. The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is proud to have been a national leader in establishing this highly regarded, ground-breaking, consumer services program for the entire Agricultural community, and continues to proudly serve all citizens of North Carolina.

Program Operations

The PDAP conducts approximately 35-40 Pesticide Collection events every year in each of the 100 counties throughout the State with the assistance of a Hazardous Materials contractor and the county-based Pesticide Coordinators of the NC Cooperative Extension Service. There are two Pesticide Collection Seasons – a Spring Collection Season (January – June) and a Fall Collection Season (July-December). The goal is to provide a disposal opportunity to all citizens by being in every county of the state once every other year or in a neighboring county every six to eight months.

In addition to pesticide collection events, the PDAP also continues to co-sponsor Household Hazardous Waste programs, or HHWs, in select counties across the state. These county-operated HHW programs may be permanent HHW facilities or Single-Day HHW events co-sponsored by the PDAP by managing and disposing of the pesticides collected at the HHW programs. In 2000, there were only 11 HHW programs co-sponsored by the PDAP. By 2011, the number of HHW programs had grown to 39 events in 31 different counties co-sponsored by the PDAP. The co-sponsorship provided by the PDAP has ‘kick-started’ many HHW programs throughout the state by providing logistical, financial, and professional assistance to both new and established HHW programs.

Additionally, the PDAP can assist in special circumstances depending upon the needs and situation. In the past, the PDAP has co-sponsored disaster relief efforts in the aftermath of several hurricanes, floods, and fires. Even if the PDAP is unable to accept problematic materials from an individual, the PDAP strives to assist the citizens of North Carolina in any way possible and attempts to provide a suitable and viable option for assistance through an on-site visitation or providing information and discussing potential options for proper disposal.

Mission Forward

The PDAP continues to promote and educate citizens about pesticide stewardship and protect human health and the environment by reducing the potential for spills and offering cost-free assistance with proper pesticide disposal for all North Carolinians. With the continued support, the Pesticide Disposal Assistance Program can continue to protect human health and the environment so that we will all have a safer place to live, and clean water to drink. NCDA&CS is proud to have been, and continues to be, a national leader in establishing this highly regarded, ground-breaking, consumer services program for all citizens of North Carolina. Contact us for assistance anytime.

Pesticide Disposal Events and Resources

The Pesticide Disposal Assistance Program (PDAP) is a consumer services program in the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The PDAP, part of the Structural Pest Control and Pesticides Division, is a NON-REGULATORY program that provides cost-free assistance to farmers and homeowners. The goal of the Pesticide Disposal Assistance Program is to assist the citizens of North Carolina by managing and supervising the safe collection and lawful disposal of banned, out-dated, or unwanted pesticides.

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