SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Illinois Department of Agriculture will hold a Clean Sweep collection in September, enabling residents of four southwestern Illinois counties to dispose of unwanted agricultural pesticides for free.

The department today announced the collection, which annually rotates among Illinois counties, has been scheduled this year for Madison, Monroe, Randolph and St. Clair counties.  Farmers, nursery owners, private pesticide applicators and landowners who inherited unwanted agricultural pesticides with their property are eligible to participate.

“Since its inception, Clean Sweep has collected and safely disposed of nearly 450,000 pounds of unwanted agrichemicals,” Warren Goetsch, bureau chief of Environmental Programs, said.  “It’s an economical way to get rid of pesticides that are no longer needed and may pose a safety hazard if left lying around.”

Participants must register the products they plan to dispose of by July 17.  Registration is required to give the waste disposal contractor time to prepare for the different kinds of materials that will need to be handled.  Forms can be obtained either by calling the Illinois Department of Agriculture’s Pesticide Hotline at 1-800-641-3934 or visiting one of the program sponsors listed below.

Completed forms should be mailed or faxed to the Illinois Department of Agriculture.  The mailing address is:  Clean Sweep Program, Illinois Department of Agriculture, State Fairgrounds, P.O. Box 19281, Springfield, IL, 62794-9281.  The fax number is (217) 524-4882.

Participants then will be sent a reservation card indicating the date, time and location of their collection. 

Clean Sweep Sponsors

Madison  County Farm Bureau
900 Hillsboro Ave.
Edwardsville, IL 62025

Madison County SWCD
7205 Marine Rd.
Edwardsville, IL 62025

Madison/St. Clair Extension Unit
Madison Office
900 Hillsboro Ave.
P.O. Box 427
Madison, IL 62025

Monroe County Farm Bureau
513 West Park St.
P.O. Box 129
Waterloo, IL 62298-0129

Monroe County SWCD
140 Williamsburg Lane
Waterloo, IL 62298

Monroe County Extension Unit
901 Illinois Ave.
P.O. Box 117
Waterloo, IL 62298

Randolph County Farm Bureau
1403 Hillcrest Dr.
P.O. Box 504
Sparta, IL 62286-0504

Randolph County SWCD
313 West Belmont St.
Sparta, IL 62286 

Randolph County Extension Unit
313 West Belmont St.
Sparta, IL 62286

St. Clair County Farm Bureau
1478 East State Route 15
P.O. Box 547
Belleville, IL 62222-0547

St. Clair County SWCD
2031 Mascoutah Rd.
Belleville, IL 62220 

Madison/St. Clair Extension Unit
621 South Belt West
Belleville, IL 62220