|
Pilot Operation Cleansweep programs conducted
during 1996, 1997 and 1998 in
Alachua (.pdf),
Hillsborough (.pdf),
Miami-Dade (.pdf), Okaloosa (.pdf), and
Palm Beach (.pdf)
Counties, successfully collected and disposed of more than 25,000
pounds of these CSUP at a cost of $40,000. The $40,000 covered the
costs of contracted sorting, packing and disposal of the CSUP.
These disposal costs have increased since these pilot projects.
Staffing and collection sites were contributed by the
participating organizations and businesses at no cost. Collected
CSUP ranged from A (alachlor) to Z (zineb) and included chlordane,
2,4-D, DDT, Thimet and even some more lead arsenate. Thimet, both
pure and in combinations with endrin and lead arsenate, was the
largest quantity of a single pesticide collected during the
pilots.
A contracted hazardous waste management company
provided on-site handling, sorting and packing as well as
transportation and disposal. Mr. Burt McKee, courtesy of his
employer United Agri Products, was the overall coordinator for
publicizing, planning and managing the pilot Operation Cleansweep
collections. Collected CSUP were managed as Universal Waste
Pesticides under the federal
Universal Waste Rule,
40 CFR Part 273, as adopted by Florida as Rule 62-730.185,
F.A.C.
Florida Hazardous Waste Regulations (.pdf). The Universal
Waste Rule streamlines the hazardous waste regulations which would
otherwise apply to CSUP, thereby encouraging proper management
with an appropriate level of environmental protection. In short,
hazardous waste rules are relaxed somewhat for the participants
who brought in the CSUP to the pilot collections, but not for the
facilities that eventually dispose of the CSUP. The following
partners cooperatively developed Operation Cleansweep operational
plans to ensure adherence to all applicable laws and regulations
and to best fit the needs of participating growers:
- Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer
Services (the designated lead agency)
- Florida Department of Environmental Protection
- Florida Department of Community Affairs
- Florida Department of Transportation
- Institute of Food and Agricultural Services
- Florida Fertilizer and Agrichemical Association
- Florida Farm Bureau
- Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association
- United Agri Products
- Cooperative Extension Service and Solid Waste
Departments of
All local officials and emergency responders were notified of the collection dates and plans in their areas and invited to participate as appropriate. As a result, the Operation Cleansweep pilots were efficient and cost effective with no operational problems or emergency situations. And perhaps most important, the trust between growers and governmental agencies was strengthened, paving the way for additional Operation Cleansweep collections in the future.
|
Pilot Programs 1996-1998
