The state is offering free disposal of banned or unusable pesticides such as DDT, lead arsenate and chlordane.

The Maine Board of Pesticides Control 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,” said Pesticides Control staffer Kelly Bourdeau.

The regulatory agency will have four sites throughout the state where people will be able to take their obsolete pesticides in the fall.

In addition to banned or unusable pesticides, the board will continue to accept chlorpyrifos, also known as Dursban, and diazinon products labeled for household use. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 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 EPA where they are incinerated or reprocessed.

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

Citizens should call the Board of Pesticides Control at 207-287-2731 by Aug. 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 will be notified via mail of location, date and time and important transporting guidelines two to three weeks before the collection.

The Maine Board of Pesticides Control is the lead state agency for pesticide regulation. It is an administrative unit of the Maine Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources with policy decisions made by a seven-member public board.

More information, including the Obsolete Pesticide Inventory form, can be found at www.thinkfirstspraylast.org.

Breakout:

Citizens should call the Board of Pesticides Control at 207-287-2731 by Aug. 20 to register and get information about a free disposal program for banned and unusable pesticides.