Practical Pesticide Disposal Not A Waste Of Time

By Aparna Gazula|June 1, 2013

Proper disposal of pesticide wastes is an important aspect of responsible pesticide usage. Improper disposal of pesticide wastes can lead to contamination of soil and water resources that can result in expensive liability issues.

Federal laws such as Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), and state law such as Florida Pesticide Law (Ch. 487 F.S.) regulate the disposal of pesticide wastes, and improper disposal can result in fines to the pesticide applicator. According to FIFRA pesticide wastes should be disposed of as specified on the product labeling and as provided by state law.

FIFRA allows you to dispose pesticides in the following methods:

1. Burying them in a state landfill specially designated for that type of pesticide
2. Using a state-approved method for chemical deactivation of the pesticide to make it environmentally safe
3. Following the state guidelines for disposal of the pesticide

FIFRA prohibits the following methods of pesticide or pesticide container disposal:

1. Disposal inconsistent with the labeling
2. Disposal violating state law
3. Disposal that causes pesticides to be openly dumped
4. Disposal by burning (with certain exceptions, for further information about burning solid and pesticide container wastes please refer to the following UF/IFAS Extension publication: The Florida Agricultural Handbook of Solid and Hazardous Waste Regulation: Solid and Hazardous Waste Disposal.)
5. Disposal by placing them in any body of water

Penalties under FIFRA for violating pesticide disposal requirements: Applicators also may be assessed penalties for violations committed by people working under their direct supervision.

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Avoid These Mistakes When Flying Drones Over Your Farm Field

Commercial applicators, including wholesalers, dealers, retailers or distributors, are subject to the following penalties:

• civil fines up to $6,500 per offense
• criminal penalties up to $25,000 and one year in prison for knowing or intentional violations

Private applicators are subject to the following penalties:

• a written warning for first time violations
• a civil fine up to $650 per offense for first time violations
• a civil fine up to $1,200 per offense for subsequent violations
• criminal fines up to $1,200 per offense and 30 days in prison for knowing or intentional violations

Pesticide Waste Types And Their Disposal

1. Empty Containers: Empty bags should be shaken clean and they may be buried in a sanitary landfill (if the operator allows it). Empty drums, bottles, or cans must be triple/pressure rinsed. The rinse water can be used for diluting the pesticide for future applications. After triple rinsing, damage the container by punching holes in it to prevent reuse of the container. Properly rinsed containers may be buried in a sanitary landfill (if the operator and local laws allow it).

Properly cleaned plastic containers can also be recycled. Contact your county solid-waste management division for information on pesticide container recycling opportunities in your area.

Florida regulations allow open burning of properly cleaned pesticide containers and bags. Open burning in open fields is allowed as long as all the below requirements are met. For further information about burning solid and pesticide container wastes please refer to the following UF/IFAS Extension publication: The Florida Agricultural Handbook of Solid and Hazardous Waste Regulation: Solid and Hazardous Waste Disposal.

• Pesticide containers may be burned by the owner of the crop, the owner’s authorized employee or caretaker, or a commercial pesticide applicator hired by the crop owner or caretaker.
• The product label allows burning of the empty container.
• The containers are from spray operations carried out on that property, and
• Local regulations allow open burning.

2. Excess Mixtures: Excess mixtures are diluted pesticides that are left over after a pesticide application has been completed. You can avoid the problem of excess mixtures by measuring and calibrating carefully. Fill your spray tank with only the required amount of pesticide to complete the job. If excess mixtures are generated, dispose them by applying it on a labeled site. Usually excess mixtures cannot be stored for future use.

3. Excess Product: Pesticide that is no longer needed or can no longer be legally applied is termed excess product. Avoid having excess product by buying pesticide quantities that can be used in one season. If the product can still be legally used, the best method of managing excess product is by giving it to someone who can us it. Sometimes supplier or manufacturer take back excess product, check with your local dealers. Hazardous waste collection programs sponsored by local solid-waste management agencies might dispose of small amounts of excess products. If none of the above methods work, dispose the excess product through a licensed hazardous waste contractor. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) can provide you with a list of licensed contractors.

4. Rinse water from containers and application equipment (Rinsates): The best way to manage your rinsates is by reusing it to dilute your next batch of pesticide mixture. Typically, up to five percent of the water for dilution may be rinse water. Also, rinsates can be applied to a labeled site of application. Do not discharge rinsates to the ground, septic systmes, or into ditches or streams. It is illegal to do so and may cause contamination of water sources, or may cause damage to neighboring crops and trees, or can pose a hazard to fish and wildlife.

5. Material generated from cleanup of spills and leaks: Materials used in cleaning up a spill such as cat litter or sawdust, and soil contaminated in a spill, can be collected and placed in a suitable container (such as a plastic or metal bucket), and then applied as a pesticide to a site listed for application in the label. Do not use this method to dispose of soil that has been contaminated over a long period by pesticide discharges, since some of this soil may be classified as a hazardous waste.

Categorizing Pesticide Waste Types

Pesticide waste types can be classified into the following two categories:

1. Solid wastes: Pesticides not classified as hazardous wastes can be disposed of as regular waste of trash. These wastes are regulated by State Law, and must be disposed of in a careful manner according to the pesticide label instruction.

2. Hazardous wastes: Wastes are considered hazardous if they are ignitable, corrosive, reactive, or toxic. Ignitable wastes are flammable or can combust spontaneously. They may have a flashpoint of less than 140°F or an alcohol content of 24% or more. Corrosive wastes can burn the skin or corrode metal. Liquids with a pH of 2 or lower or 12.5 or higher are corrosive in nature. Reactive wastes are unstable and may explode or react violently with water or other materials. Toxic wastes contain certain heavy metals above specific concentrations, such as chromium, lead or cadmium, or toxic organic chemicals.

Hazardous wastes are regulated by the Federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and they are listed in a section of federal regulations, and as such must be disposed of in a proper fashion. Usually, hazardous wastes must be disposed by a licensed hazardous waste contractor. For further information on the management of hazardous pesticide wastes please refer to the following UF/IFAS Extension publications:

1. Proper Disposal of Pesticide Waste.
2. The Florida Agricultural Handbook of Solid and Hazardous Waste Regulation: Solid and Hazardous Waste Disposal.

Hazardous wastes can be identified by different methods:

1. Before ordering new pesticides, ask for the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS). For help interpreting the language of the MSDS please refer to the following UF/IFAS Extension publication: Understanding Material Safety Data Sheet Language
2. By talking to the pesticide suppliers and manufactures, and
3. By reading the pesticide label. Make sure you read the pesticide label for the hazardous information before you purchase the product.

Table 1. Common Pesticides Regulated as Toxic Hazardous Wastes

Table 2. Common Pesticides Regulated As Acutely Toxic Hazardous Wastes

Managing Inspections

Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) Bureau of Compliance Monitoring Inspection and Management of Pesticide Wastes

During a standard FDACS Bureau of Compliance Monitoring Inspection the inspectors check for whether your agricultural production facility meets the regulations of Florida’s pesticide law. The following are some factors to take in consideration:

1. All drums must be labeled and have the manufactured date on them.

2. Evaporation of pesticides or pesticide wastes from an open drum can create a hazard. If you’re not in the process of using pesticide from a drum or adding wastes to a drum, make sure they are closed.

3. If old drums get stormwater inside them from being left outside, the farmer is responsible for sampling the stormwater to determine whether the water is hazardous or not. When purchasing pesticides in a drum, ensure that the person selling you the drum and its contents will take the drum back when you are done with it.

4. Inspectors check inside dumpsters to ensure that you are not illegally disposing of pesticides wastes.

5. The inspector will walk the entire property and property’s perimeter looking for orphan drums and signs of distressed/dead vegetation.

6. Spills should be cleaned up immediately following their occurrence.

7. The most common violation is the non-determination of whether something is a waste.

Credits:

1. Fishel, F. 2010. “Applying Pesticides Correctly,” 7th Edition.
2. Nesheim, O.N. and F.M. Fishel. 2011. Proper Disposal of Pesticide Waste.
3. Fishel, F.M. 2010. Surviving the FDACS Bureau of Compliance Monitoring Inspection: Walking through an Inspection.
4. Olexa, M.T. and I. Goldfarb. 2008. The Florida Agricultural Handbook of Solid and Hazardous Waste Regulation: Solid and Hazardous Waste Disposal

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