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Last modified: Tuesday, July 28, 2009 3:01 PM CDT
Safe Send collects more than 100 tons
by Erin C. Hevern • Daily News
Project Safe Send was just 35 people short of matching 2008's record number of participants, who brought unusable pesticides to 16 sites across the state of North Dakota.
The more than 100 tons — 205,021 pounds — of pesticide has since been repackaged and transported to out-of-state incinerators by Veolia Environmental Services of Blaine, Minn.
"Since 1992, almost 7,000 people have used Project Safe Send to get rid of their unusable pesticides, more than two and a half a million pounds," said Doug Goehring, North Dakota Agriculture commissioner, in a statement released Friday.
Wyndmere was one of the 16 sites Project Safe Send visited, holding more than 30 participants and depositing 13,170 pounds of banned, old or unusable pesticides. The 2009 amount exceeded last year's collection in Wahpeton by 5,274 pounds of pesticide and was twice as much as a 2006 collection in Wyndmere.
"These numbers clearly indicate a continuing need for Project Safe Send," Goehring said.
At the collection in Wyndmere, Veolia staff indicated a significant amount of trifluralin, a basic herbicide used to control the spread of weeds, was deposited. Pesticides collected in bulk throughout the state include DDT, arsenic and mercury compounds.
According to the North Dakota Department of Agriculture, the Valley City collection drew the most participants - 54 - and was second in the amount of chemicals collected - 30,838 pounds. Grand Forks came in first for the amount of waste pesticide collected, which was more than 48,000 pounds.
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