Project Clean Sweep Targets Pesticides

A local state and industry partnership is trying to prevent pollution by disposing of pesticides.

It’s called the Michigan Clean Sweep program.

Clean Sweep sites will accept pesticide products and mercury from any Michigan resident, free of charge.

The sites will safely dispose of the chemicals.

And it’s free of charge, but you have to make arrangements with a site first.

There are 16 clean sweep sites in Michigan.

Three of them are in the U.P. — the Marquette County Solid Waste Management Authority in Sands Township, the Delta Soil Waste Management Authority in Escanaba and the Chippewa Recycling Center in the Soo.

Project Clean Sweep started in 1997.

The state Department of Agriculture and Rural Development says the program has disposed of nearly 1.7 million pounds of pesticides over the years.