Monterey County highlights regional safe pesticide disposal event at closed Crazy Horse landfill

Assistant Agricultural Commissioner Richard Ordonez said Monterey County and three neighboring counties held a two-day safe pesticide disposal event to remove outdated, banned and legacy pesticides from local circulation.

The event, organized by the Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner’s office with Santa Cruz, San Benito and Santa Clara counties, was held at the closed Crazy Horse Landfill on Crazy Horse Canyon Road in North Salinas and had no cost or enforcement consequences for participants, Ordonez said. “This event is designed for farmers, pest control businesses, and other agricultural operations in the Central Coast region to safely remove old, unwanted, banned, or legacy pesticides, from circulation to protect the public health and communities and the environment,” he said.

Why it matters: county officials said removing stored pesticides reduces the risk of accidental exposure, spills and groundwater contamination and helps agricultural operations follow environmental best practices.

Ordonez described the pre-event process: county offices notified local agricultural operations, mailed letters, and required interested participants to complete a survey listing pesticides and amounts. Participants were assigned appointment dates and drop-off times to limit site congestion and ensure safety.

The office posted safety restrictions. Containers larger than 50 pounds and containers of five gallons or more were not accepted, and materials containing dioxins or mercury were excluded. Officials also declined white or black powders that could pose an explosive hazard. Ordonez said about 100 participants were expected and that the counties anticipated collecting roughly 50,000 pounds of material.

Materials collected were transferred to a contracted hazardous-handler for off-site processing, Ordonez said. Depending on the material, the handler may incinerate it or use specialized neutralization or other treatment before disposal; no hazardous processing was performed at the Crazy Horse site. “They take it to their location, which is not in our area,” he said.

The assistant agricultural commissioner encouraged growers who could not attend to contact the Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner’s office about future opportunities. The county said the first day was successful, with many participants and substantial material removed.

No formal action or regulatory penalties were announced at the briefing; officials framed the effort as a voluntary, public-health and environmental initiative. For more information or to inquire about future collection opportunities, the county advised contacting the Agricultural Commissioner’s office.