Senior staff writer

A program which allows farmers to safely and legally dispose of unusable pesticides is returning.

This year's Project Safe Send will be held 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 18 at Watford City, on U.S.85, 3/4 a mile south of the junction of U.S. Highway 85 and N.D. Highway 23.

According to a news release issued by the North Dakota Department of Agriculture, Project Safe Send was started in 1992 to help farmers get rid of these items without harming the environment.

Since it started, nearly 6,000 people have brought in 2 million pounds of pesticides, according to the release. The program accepts any pesticides. This includes herbicides, insecticides, rodentcides and fungicides that are unusable or banned. Safe Send will collect items like DDT, arsenic, dieldrin, chloradane or mercury seed treatments.

Collections are held at many locations across the state in the summer. These collection sites rotate throughout the state to provide access to a greater number of farmers, ranchers and others.

After the collections, hazardous pesticides are carefully packed and shipped out of state for incineration.

Producers are asked to check storage areas for any unusable pesticides. They are asked to contact State Ag Department officials at 1-800-242-7535 if they need free heavy-duty plastic bags for transporting damaged containers with pesticides.

Those with more than 5,000 pounds of pesticides are asked to pre-register. Rinsates that contain pesticides will be collected at no charge for the first 100 pounds. Each additional 100 pounds will carry a dollar per pound fee. Participants are limited to 20,000 pounds.

In the meantime, producers are asked to safely lock up their pesticides.

Farmers with deteriorating or leaking containers should over-pack the containers and add absorbent materials.