Hudson Valley 'Clean Sweep' Removed 86K Lbs Of Chemical Wastes

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — More than 86,600 pounds of pesticides and chemical waste were collected or removed from 89 participants in Dutchess, Orange, Rockland, Putnam, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester counties in 2021 as part of the state's CleanSweepNY initiative.

The program helps promote healthy and sustainable communities by providing opportunities for proper disposal of unwanted and/or obsolete pesticides and other chemicals.

In fact, DEC employees visited four sites to collect waste chemicals that were unsafe for the owners to transport due to the poor condition of pesticide containers and storage areas. DEC also facilitated safe disposal for participants that had difficulty safely handling and transporting waste chemicals to collection locations.

CleanSweepNY services are available to agricultural and non-agricultural professional pesticide applicators, schools, and certain businesses that use pesticides such as golf courses, cemeteries, and marinas.

Homeowners cannot participate, but information about reducing household hazardous waste is available on the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's website.

In all, 230,000 pounds of pesticides and chemical waste were retrieved for safe disposal during two CleanSweepNY events this year, said DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos. The first collection event, held during the week of May 10, included counties in the Hudson Valley (DEC Region 3), and the second event was held during the week of Oct. 11, and included counties in the Capital Region (DEC’s Region 4).

In addition, about 6,100 plastic pesticide containers, including many 55- and 30-gallon triple-rinsed pesticide drums, which would otherwise have been disposed of in landfills, were collected and properly recycled.

"To advance New York’s ongoing efforts to protect public health and our environment it’s critical to remove excess pesticides and other chemical wastes from our communities and landfills," Seggos said. "We are pleased that so many farmers, businesses, and institutions participated in CleanSweepNY events this year and that so many New Yorkers recognize the importance of safely removing potential hazards from the environment.”

DEC schedules and organizes CleanSweepNY events in collaboration with the New York State Department of Transportation. Collection events were held in 2021 at several DOT facilities.

The 2021 events mark the 29th and 30th collection events administered by the CleanSweepNY program since its inception in 2002. So far, the program has resulted in the collection of more than 2 million pounds of chemical wastes across New York State, as well as the safe collection of more than 950 pounds of liquid elemental mercury.

The program is endorsed by Cornell Cooperative Extension, the Agricultural Container Recycling Council, Soil and Water Conservation Districts, the New York Farm Bureau, and related agricultural associations.

For more information on CleanSweepNY, visit http://www.cleansweepny.org or call 518-225-8146.