NewsBits

January 2005

NPSA Kicks Off Pilot Project on Pesticide Disposal

With funding and support from CropLife America, the National Pesticide Stewardship Alliance (NPSA) is undertaking a study of state pesticide disposal programs. In July, NPSA started Phase I of its pilot project, contacting all of the states and beginning information collection.

For the past three years, NPSA has been concerned about state disposal programs. Some are facing increasing budget pressure and others have already been forced to cut services. This is exactly what we and others don't want to happen. Disposal programs underpin pesticide stewardship efforts in America, often being the only economical way that individuals, farmers and agricultural businesses can safely dispose of unwanted products.

The ultimate goal of this project is to find out what factors most assure state disposal program success and sustainability. The information we are seeking will form the basis for a proposal to develop program models and test them in one or two states. This pilot study will be a featured topic at NPSA's annual conference in Orlando, Florida, November 7th to 10th.

NPSA's pilot project will have three broad phrases: (I) Need Documentation and Project Focus; (II) Pilot Area Selection and Development; and (III) Project Implementation and Post-Project Analysis.

The purpose of Phase I, which is currently underway, is to collect essential background information, analyze state disposal program performance data, and otherwise produce essential documents and materials needed to assure a successful pilot project. The Phase I work is split into the following four tasks:

Task 1: Determine the Status of State Disposal Programs

Document the activity level of state pesticide disposal programs to establish current conditions and provide evidence of the need for continuing pesticide collections in America. The information will be summarized to identify the states whose status has substantially changed. To the extent possible, NPSA will follow-up with those states with significant status change to more accurately characterize the changes.

Task 2: Identify the Political Context and Working Protocols of Successful, Long-Term Pesticide Collection Programs

Identify the factors that allowed a select number of states to operate successful, long term programs over the past decade. This knowledge will make it possible to select a pilot area that maximizes the chances for success along with helping to recommend precise working and political protocols within the pilot area. This task involves interviewing representatives from major hazardous waste contractors, state disposal programs, agricultural organizations, and legislative leaders. These interviews will provide critical information on the most efficient, effective, and safe operational models for pesticide collection along with first-hand information on the strengths and limitations of pesticide programs in America's most active states. A survey document was developed to form the basis for these interviews.

Task 3: Identify Potential Funding Sources for State Pesticide Disposal Programs

Determine which funding sources hold promise for being available under a wide variety of circumstances to keep balance between "who benefits" and "who pays." Funding sources that have been used in the past include general state funding, landfill tipping fees, state pesticide registration fees (see Task 4), a variety of EPA grants, program participant fees, and penalty fees from pesticide violations. Potential sources include industry-provided grants or assessments and new federal sources. The merits of each source will be assessed for their feasibility, balance, and likelihood of long term availability. This work involves analyzing EPA's "2001 Clean Sweep Report" along with interview results from Task 2 and further interviews with representatives from the crop protection industry.

Task 4: Identify Current Use of State Pesticide Registration Fees

Determine how the use of state pesticide registration fees to fund pesticide disposal programs has evolved over time and assess the likelihood of their availability to support pesticide disposal in the future. This work will be coordinated with the Association of American Pesticide Control Officials (AAAPCO) and will involved gathering information from state web sites and telephone interviews with state officials.

In July, NPSA contacted all of the states to provide background information about this project and to solicit their help, which is critical to the success of the pilot because the most detailed and accurate information on pesticide disposal programs is found at the state level. The letters to the states included the summary of each state's disposal program from EPA's 2001 Clean Sweep Report. (This report is available on the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/oppfead1/cb/csb_page/updates/cleansweep.pdf).

For Task 1, we would like to receive updates and corrections to the information in these state summaries. In addition, it would helpful for state disposal program managers to highlight major changes in the program since 2000 and describe likely changes in the pesticide disposal program (e.g., staffing, service or format) over the next five years based on current trends and funding. This information will be compiled for NPSA by Jude Andreasen and Nancy Fitz, who will also be gathering information about state pesticide registration fees for Task 4.

NPSA identified the following 14 states for the in-depth study of Tasks 2 and 3: Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. NPSA's research consultant, Bill McClelland, has contacted all of these states and will be conducting follow up interviews in August and September.

NPSA looks forward to working with state agencies, AAPCO, the States FIFRA Issues Research and Evaluation Group (SFIREG) and other interested parties on this pilot project. We believe this study will make it possible to improve agricultural pesticide collections in America, but we need the help, input and cooperation of many people and organizations along the way to achieve this goal. If you have any questions or concerns about this study, please contact Roger Springman (608-224-4545) or Nancy Fitz (703-305-7385).