Maine Board of Pesticides Control

Skip Maine state header navigation

Home | Site Index

Have a question about pest problems or pesticides you can't answer? If you've already checked Got Pests? and still can't find it, send us an e-mail, including your complete address and phone number, and we'll get you an answer as soon as possible.

June 15, 2004
Contact: Kelly Bourdeau, 287-7533
For Immediate Release

STATE OFFERS FREE DISPOSAL OF BANNED, UNUSABLE PESTICIDES

Hundreds of Maine citizens live unaware of a quiet crisis lurking in or near their homes. In barns, basements, sheds or garages throughout the state reside tons of banned and unusable pesticides: old chemicals with infamous names like DDT, lead arsenate, 2,4,5-T and chlordane.

Often, new owners of older homes or farms discover they have inherited hazardous waste. When they do, citizens face a dilemma: hire an expensive hazardous waste disposal service or dump the chemicals illegally, inviting harm to the environment and public health.

Fortunately, there’s a third option that’s both legal and responsible. Even better, it’s free, simply by calling the Maine Board of Pesticides Control (BPC). It’s a once a year program—without cost to homeowners—when the state regulatory agency will dispose of banned pesticides or pesticides that have become caked, frozen or otherwise rendered unusable.

“We urge people holding these chemicals to call us immediately to register,” says Kelly Bourdeau, BPC staff. “We have four sites throughout the state where folks will be able to bring their obsolete pesticides this fall.”

In addition to banned or unusable pesticides, BPC will continue to accept chlorpyrifos (Dursban) and diazinon products labeled for household use. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is phasing out home, lawn and garden use of these common insecticides in order to protect children’s health.

The collected chemicals go to out of state disposal facilities licensed by the US EPA where they are incinerated or reprocessed.

While offering free obsolete pesticide disposal is expensive for us, notes Bourdeau, it’s a bargain compared to the cost of cleaning up contaminated soil or water.

Citizens should call the BPC at 207-287-2731 by August 20 to register and learn important information about the temporary storage. More information, including the Obsolete Pesticide Inventory form, can be found at www.thinkfirstspraylast.org. Once registered, participants are notified via mail 2-3 weeks before the collection regarding location, date and time and important transporting guidelines.

# # #