El Centro, California - Today, the Imperial County Board of Supervisors ratified a Request for Proposal (RFP) that was released on February 24, 2016 by the Imperial County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office for the competitive selection of a licensed contractor to collect and dispose of outdated or unused pesticide products at a future pesticide disposal event.  Proposals are due March 9, 2016.

“It is of high importance that we obtain a licensed contractor who will collect, transport, and dispose of the pesticides in a legal and secure manner for the safety of Imperial County residents and the environment,” said Chairman Jack Terrazas.  “I encourage local growers and farmers to take advantage of the upcoming collection event, especially since there is no cost to the participant to dispose of the pesticides.”

The Imperial County Agricultural Pesticide Disposal Project (PDP) will assist local farmers and growers with proper disposal of unwanted and outdated pesticides.  This will be a one to two day pesticide collection event.  Only those identified participants who have registered their unwanted pesticides in advance of the collection event will be able to dispose of their materials.  Late participants must be approved by both the vendor and the county. In addition, this pesticide collection event is not available for disposal of triple-rinsed empty pesticide containers or disposal of household hazardous waste.  A date is not currently set for the event, however the event must be held by May 31, 2016.

Imperial County Agricultural Commissioner Connie Valenzuela stated, “Disposal of pesticides can be very difficult and expensive, so what often happens is that these pesticides remain in storage for long periods. Eventually, containers can break down, resulting in increased hazards.  I want to thank the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation for offering us this rare opportunity that will not only benefit our local growers, but also reduce pesticide exposure and risks to local people and the environment.”

The Imperial County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office is the local agency responsible for administering the pesticide use enforcement program under the California Department of Pesticide Regulation.

For more information about the RFP, please visit the Imperial County Purchasing Department’s Website.  The RFP will be available for review.  Proposals are due by March 9, 2016.