Testimony of Judy Carlson,
Project Safe Send Coordinator
House Bill 1066
Senate Agriculture Committee
February 28, 2003

Chairman Flakoll, Committee members, I'm Judy Carlson, the Project Safe Send coordinator for the department of agriculture. HB1066 continues Project Safe Send (PSS), the unusable pesticide collection and the pesticide container recycling program for another two years.

This biennium, we facilitated thirty-seven collection events throughout the state. The pounds collected continue to increase. Over 700 participants brought in 338,616 pounds of unusable waste pesticides.

The amount of pesticides collected demonstrates the continued need for this program and the concern of North Dakota agricultural producers for the environment.

The funding for PSS is included in the department of agriculture's budget (SB 2009). Funding for this program is from pesticide registration fees that are deposited into the Environment and Rangeland Protection (EARP) Fund. Last session, the legislature gave us the authority to charge for rinsate (in the department's budget). Because this is not included in our current budget bill, we would like you to amend this bill to continue our authority to charge for rinsate, with the revenue going into the EARP Fund.

In 2000, we commissioned the North Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service to survey farm and ranch operations on PSS using questions similar to a survey completed in 1995. The results are included in the legislative report. The percentage of producers with unusable pesticides and the quantities continue to show a need for the program.

During the floor debate on HB 1066, in the House of Representatives, the sunset clause was discussed. We would appreciate your consideration of removing the sunset language.

Attached to this testimony are copies of the legislative report which includes the survey report. I also have a draft of proposed amendments for your consideration. Thank you.