WASTE ORIGIN: Chemical Storage, Mixing, and Loading
WASTE TYPES: Fertilizers and Pesticides

STORAGE PRACTICES:

• Use labels on windows or doors to alert emergency personnel that pesticides, fertilizers, or other products are stored in the structure.
• Lock storage areas or buildings to provide security and prevent accidental spills or unauthorized use of chemicals.
• Store materials on pallets for clear leak detection.
• Store drums off concrete floors to prevent corrosion from moisture.
• Use easier to clean and sturdier steel shelving.
• Stack containers according to manufacturer’s instructions.
• Store dry products above liquids.
• Store herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides on separate shelves or areas.
• Arrange storage space so aisles are wide enough for safe maneuvering; keep jugs and bags clear from high traffic areas.
• Securely cover all containers to prevent spills, evaporation loss, or fumes.
• Properly store products to preserve their shelf life.
• Dry, bulk fertilizer should be stored on an impermeable surface under cover.

WASTE REDUCTION AND RECYCLING METHODS:

• Train employees in proper chemical handling procedures; employees should wear proper protective clothing at all times.
• Use an impermeable mixing and loading pad such as sealed, liquid-tight concrete:
  • Pad should have a sloped surface with watertight walls and curbs;
  • Provide secondary containment while transferring liquids to spraying equipment or nurse tanks;
  • Provide independent shallow sumps in each containment area to prevent cross-contamination from spills;
  • Size of the pad should allow for containing leaks from bulk tanks, washwater from cleaning equipment, and spills from transferring chemicals to the sprayer or spreader;
  • Pad should not allow stormwater to enter it.
• When unable to use a mixing and loading pad:
  • Avoid handling pesticides near a well, stream, or wetland;
  • Protect surfacewater by using a nurse tank to transport water to mixing and loading site;
  • Prevent chemical buildup in the soil by moving the mixing site each year within the field of application.
• Avoid mixing incompatible materials:
  • Read product labels when combining two or more pesticides in the same tank;
  • Reduce waste from incompatible chemicals:
    • Perform a small-jar compatibility test with the carrier to be used in the field;
    • Add a compatibility agent to the chemical mixture if recommended.
• Use a backsiphon prevention device on the well or hydrant water supply; provide a 6-inch air gap between the water hose and top of the sprayer tank.
• Use a closed chemical handling system that transfers pesticide directly from the storage container to applicator equipment through a hose.
• Eliminate leftover premixed pesticide by using a direct injection system.
• Triple- or pressure-rinse empty chemical containers immediately; pour rinsewater back into spray tank (suspension formulas that tend to settle and harden in container may need extra rinsing).

Sources

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