Farmers rethink on-farm pesticide storage and management

Environmental Farm Plans key part of planning process and a major source of new funding

Posted: May 24, 2006

Today more than ever, farmers understand the responsibilities - personally and legally - of handling dangerous goods such as pesticides. It's why many producers are rethinking their on-farm strategies for pesticide storage and management.

The starting point in that process is becoming familiar with applicable legislation, says Jock McIntosh, agriculture and chemical advisor with Alberta Environment in an article in the EFP Journal at www.albertaEFP.com. Legislation is the backdrop to any action, he says, but a greater focus on safety, fire and emergency response as well as ease of use and access all factor into an effective pesticide storage and management plan.

Environmental Farm Plans (EFPs) can help in this. An EFP is a voluntary self-assessment process that acts as a basic framework from which to provide sustainability in many areas of farm management. It's especially useful for high-risk areas such as pesticide management.

The good news is there's now financial help available for producers who complete an EFP. These farmers are eligible for up to $30,000 per farm for a variety of environmental improvements through the Canada-Alberta Farm Stewardship Program (CAFSP).

Store or not to store

The first question producers should ask themselves is whether they should store pesticides on their farms at all, and if so how much. Not storing any pesticides on the farm is the lowest-risk option, according to the EFP.

Of course, this is not a viable option for many farmers. McIntosh says that most producers will have to store pesticides at some time, so they should buy only as much as they need and try to use it up throughout the spray season to avoid winter storage.

Security

Security is an important issue to address when storing pesticides, says McIntosh. Producers are expected to keep pesticide storage areas locked to prevent public access or injury to younger members of the family.

Appropriate signage should also be visible on the storage facility. This is a somewhat controversial regulation amongst the pesticide industry, says McIntosh, because while signage warns people of dangerous goods inside the building, it may also make it the target of theft or vandalism.

"Because these products can be very valuable, theft of pesticides and other chemicals is becoming more prevalent," he says. "One way to get around the issue of posting chemical signage is by working with local fire personnel and making sure they know where these products are stored so they can go directly to the location in the event of a fire or other threat.

Water protection

Protection of ground and surface water is the number one consideration when storing pesticides. The minimum setback distance from all water bodies is 30 metres. However, the concept is to maintain as great a distance as possible (at least 150 metres) between any potential contaminant and the water sources or bodies.

The ability of the farming community to contain spills or leaks within the boundaries of their storage sites should also be a top priority, he says, and one of the best ways to do this is by setting up some kind of secondary containment. Prescribing containment in legislation is difficult to keep up to date, says McIntosh, and it is left to industry and the farming community to come up with their own reasonable and effective methods.

There are some other simple, common sense things farmers can do to reduce the potential of pesticide spills and leaks. "Have spill clean-up and fire response procedures in place and don't leave pesticides outside. Protect them from the rain and the elements to prevent container degradation so labels don't fade, making it difficult to identify the product."

The disposal process

Triple-rinsing or pressure-rinsing pesticide containers before disposal is a practice McIntosh strongly recommends, and one that experience shows most Alberta farmers disposing of pesticides adhere to. Probably 75 per cent of the containers that come through the container collection program are triple-rinsed, he says. But he would like to see that number higher.

It makes good economic sense for the farmer. Considering the high cost of some crop protection products, it doesn't make any sense to dispose of containers that still have residue in them.

Through CropLife Canada's empty pesticide container program, over 1,100 collection sites have been set up across Canada. A by-province listing can be found on the CropLife Canada Web site at www.croplife.ca.

Full story in the EFP Journal at www.albertaEFP.com.

More information available

The risks of pesticide storage and handling are a national issue. Farmers across Canada are learning how to address pesticide storage by completing environmental farm plans in their respective provinces or territories.

More information on the storage and management of pesticides is available from:

• Provincial or territorial Department of Agriculture
• Provincial or territorial Environmental Farm Plan program

A total of $181 million is available to Canadian producers who have completed an Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) or equivalent agri-environmental plan (EAEP) under the National Farm Stewardship Program. Up to $30,000 per farm is available to help cover the cost of a wide range of environmental improvements. Information on the National Farm Stewardship Program (NFSP) is available from the program office toll-free by calling 1-800-667-8567.