The Ministry of the Environment has announced that Landscape Ontario’s home office in Milton will be a site to collect obsolete pesticides.
For members of the industry, it’s an opportunity to get rid of products made obsolete by the newly-instituted Ontario pesticide ban. The collection dates are Oct. 27, 28 and 29 at either the LO offices or at JB & D Co., at 3912 Highway 7, in Unionville. The hours of operation each day, at both sites, are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The annual CropLife program will take place a week before, Oct. 20 to 22. The program involves 16 collection sites across the province that will accept pesticides. The service is free.
Pesticide collection programs have been run in Canada by CropLife Canada since 1998 under the CleanFARMS banner. More than 270,000 kilograms of obsolete product have been collected in Ontario during previous collection campaigns in 2001 and 2005.
Collection locations, Oct. 20 to 22
• Hensall: Hensall District Co-operative, 116 Main Street
• Arnprior: M&R Feeds and Farm Supply, 70 Decosta Street
• Bethany: Thompsons Limited, 9 Elevator Road
• Brodhagen: Hoegy’s Farm Supply, 6777 Perth Line 44
• Courtland: Cargill AgHorizons, 159 Talbot Street
• Dundalk: Huron Bay Co-operative, 35 Dundalk Street
• Harriston: North Wellington Co-operative Services, 56 Margaret Street South
• Jordan Station: Vineland Growers Co-operative, 4150 Jordan Road
• Kitchener: Growmark Distribution Centre, 1 Chandaria Place Unit 7
• Lancaster: Munro’s Agromart Ltd., 6011 Hwy #34
• Napanee: O’Neill’s Farm Supply, 1 Dairy Avenue
• Thornloe: Co-op Regionale – Temiskaming Ag Centre, 964027 Development Road, New Liskeard
• Orangeville: Holmes Agro Ltd., 473088 County Road 11
• Thunder Bay: Thunder Bay Co-op Farm Supply, 560 Boundary Drive
• Tilbury: Cargill AgHorizons, 23404 Wheatley Road
• Vienna: Max Underhill’s Farm Supply, 56532 Calton Line
Collection locations, Oct. 27 to 29
• Milton: Landscape Ontario, 7856 Fifth Line South,
• Unionville: JB&D Co., 3912 Hwy. 7
Volunteers will be at each site during the collection period to receive product and answer questions. Site staff will be keeping track of the types and volumes of products. Pesticide products should have a PCP number on the container, although in cases where the label is no longer present, or it is unknown which particular pesticide was in the container, the product should be labeled “pesticide unknown” when it is brought to a collection site.
Registration is required. To complete an online registration form, see the web address below. Those not registering before the collection dates, will be required to fill out a form onsite. To register, contact Elizabeth Pennant at CropLife Canada through one of the following methods:
• CropLife Canada Phone at: (416) 622-9771 ext. 2221
• CropLife Canada Fax at: (416) 622-6764
• CropLife Canada email: pennante@croplife.ca
• Online at: www.croplife.ca/stewardship/ontariopesticidecollection
The response to the 2009 program will help determine the need for future collection and disposal programs. For more information, visit www.ofac.org.
Fact Sheet
Ministry of the Environment
October 1, 2009
Handling and Transporting Obsolete Pesticides
The safe handling and transportation of obsolete pesticides is the responsibility of the licensed
exterminator under the Pesticides Act and Regulation 63/09.
Use extreme care when handling these materials and transporting them to the collection sites.
The chance of exposure may be greater when handling obsolete pesticides than newly
purchased ones. Be aware that pesticide containers that have been opened and partially used
may contain pesticide residue on the outer surface. Also, containers that have been stored for a
period of more than one season may have deteriorated and are more likely to rupture or leak
when handled.
To minimize exposure, take the following precautions:
1. Wear protective clothing including a long-sleeved shirt and pants or coveralls, rubber
boots, chemical-resistant gloves, water repellent hat, and goggles or face shield as per
label guidelines.
2. Use a respirator if you suspect that any of your obsolete pesticides are highly volatile,
even if the label does not indicate the need for this equipment.
3. Inspect all containers. If it appears that a container will tear or rupture when moved, do
not move it. Contact a Ministry of the Environment (MOE) Regional Pesticides Specialist
for further information on handling procedures. Look in the blue pages of your telephone
directory for the office nearest you.
4. Ensure that all containers are securely closed before handling them. Containers which
cannot be tightly closed should be packed within larger containers that can be securely
closed or sealed.
5. Handle all obsolete pesticide containers with extreme care to minimize the possibility of
container rupture and spill.
6. Have spill control material and equipment handy (absorptive material such as soil,
vermiculite or kitty litter, a shovel and a waste drum).
7. Keep a list of emergency telephone numbers, including the doctor, Poison Information
Centres, fire, police, Spills Action Centre (1-800-268-6060) and MOE Regional Pesticide
Specialists.
Transporting Obsolete Pesticides
1. Line the storage area of the vehicle with plastic sheeting to contain any spills that might
occur. It makes clean-up easier, whether or not there is a spill.
2. Ensure that all labels are securely attached to containers.
3. Arrange containers in your vehicle so that they are securely braced to prevent shifting.
4. All containers should be kept dry during transport. Loads in open vehicles such as pickup
trucks should be covered for protection from rain or snow.
5. Do not transport obsolete pesticides in a manner which will allow fumes from those
pesticides to enter the passenger compartment of the vehicle.
6. Ensure the safe transportation of pesticides following the federal Transportation of
Dangerous Goods Act, the provincial Dangerous Goods Act, the Pesticides Act and O.
Regulation 63/09. The Regulation states: “No person shall leave a Class 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
or 8 pesticide, whether mixed or diluted for use or not, unsupervised in a vehicle unless
the vehicle displays a Sign G, referred to in the Table to subsection 1 (5)”. (Reg. 63/09, s.
108 (2)
7. Make a complete list of the obsolete pesticides that you are transporting; then make a
copy of the list. Include the name of each pesticide and the number of containers. In
addition, include the emergency phone numbers for fire and police assistance. If there is
an accident and you leave the vehicle to call for assistance, take a copy with you and
leave a copy on the driver’s seat for the emergency personnel who may arrive while you
are away.
8. Drive directly to the temporary collection site after you load your vehicle.
9. Please drive carefully. You are responsible for any spillage, damage, subsequent
cleanup and restoration that might occur while you are transporting the obsolete
pesticides, whether the accident is your fault or not.
Under the Pesticides Act and Regulation 63/09, all pesticides must be:
• Separated from other commodities: The regulation states, “No person shall transport
or cause or permit the transportation of a Class 1, 2, 3 or 4 pesticide together with any of the
following commodities by a vehicle operated on any highway unless the pesticide being
transported is separated from the commodities in a manner sufficient to prevent their
contamination or likely contamination by the pesticide: food or drink intended for human or
animal consumption; household furnishings; toiletries, clothes, bedding or similar commodities.”
(Reg. 63/09, s. 115)
• Secured in the vehicle: The regulation states, “No person shall transport or cause or
permit the transportation of a pesticide by a vehicle operated on any highway unless the
pesticide is secured in a manner sufficient to prevent the escape or discharge of the pesticide
from the vehicle.” (Reg. 63/09, s. 114)
• In an identifiable vehicle: The regulation states, “During a calendar year, a person who is
required to hold an operator’s licence shall not permit a vehicle to be used to transport or apply
a pesticide in connection with an extermination unless an identification marker for the calendar
year has been obtained from the Director and is affixed to the rear of the vehicle so that it is
visible and legible at all times.” (Reg. 63/09, s. 89)
A secure load is also a requirement of the regulations under The Highway Traffic Act.
For further details on the Ontario Obsolete Pesticides Collection Program, contact Shaun Lalla at
(416) 327-9195, or send an email question to
Shaun.lalla@ontario.ca.
