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For Release: Thursday, October 30, 2008

State to Hold Pesticide "Cleansweep" in the Hudson Valley

Seeks to Collect Thousands of Pounds of Pesticides for Proper Disposal

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis announced today that DEC will hold its Fall CleanSweepNY program in the lower Hudson Valley the week of Nov. 3-7, 2008. CleanSweepNY provides an opportunity to ensure proper disposal of unwanted and/or obsolete pesticides and chemicals, including elemental mercury, to help provide a healthy and sustainable New York.

"Every drum and container of old, unwanted or outdated pesticides that is turned in this week helps keep these materials out of conventional waste streams and municipal landfills," Commissioner Grannis said. "I am very grateful for the efforts of DEC staff and our partners at the State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) who are coordinating these collection days and encourage individuals, businesses and institutions in the region to take advantage of this opportunity to reduce environmental risks in our communities and help us build a toxic-free future."

CleanSweepNY is administered by the DEC, which collaborates with NYSDOT to provide sites for the collection of unwanted materials. The program is supported by Cornell Cooperative Extension, the Agricultural Container Recycling Council, and agribusiness and related associations.

NYSDOT Commissioner Astrid C. Glynn said: "It is important that unwanted chemicals are properly disposed, in an environmentally-safe manner. By providing more convenient drop-off locations for these potentially harmful materials, the state Department of Transportation is pleased to help DEC and advance Governor David A. Paterson's programs protecting public health and preventing pollution across New York State."

November's CleanSweepNY effort is focused on Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester counties. It is directed at agricultural and non-agricultural professional pesticide applicators, schools and business users such as golf courses, cemeteries, and marinas. Additionally, empty, triple-rinsed HDPE-2 plastic pesticide containers will be collected and recycled. Pre-registration is required, with nearly 100 entities already signed up to dispose of roughly 55,000 pounds of unwanted pesticides, school chemicals and mercury.

CleanSweepNY is an Environmental Benefit Project, initially established with approximately $2.2 million from several enforcement settlements in DEC's pesticides program. Efforts have begun to try to make the CleanSweepNY program permanent.

This fall's CleanSweepNY collection event is the eleventh since the program's inception in 2002. To date, CleanSweepNY has collected and disposed of over 675,000 pounds of hazardous chemicals and more than 440 pounds of elemental mercury and collected approximately 2,000 pesticide containers for recycling that would have otherwise wound up in landfills.

Collection events are scheduled as follows:

For more information on CleanSweepNY, visit http://www.cleansweepny.org or call toll free: 1-877-SWEEPNY.

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