Establishes farm pesticide, herbicide, and fertilizer collection and disposal program.

A1541

ASSEMBLY, No. 1541

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman CLINTON CALABRESE

District 36 (Bergen and Passaic)

Assemblywoman ELLEN J. PARK

District 37 (Bergen)

Assemblywoman HEATHER SIMMONS

District 3 (Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman Haider

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes farm pesticide, herbicide, and fertilizer
collection and disposal program.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.

��

An Act
establishing a farm pesticide, herbicide, and
fertilizer collection and disposal program and supplementing Title 13 of the
Revised Statutes.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� As used in this act:

���� �Commercial farm� means the
same as that term is defined by section 3 of P.L.1983, c.31 (C.4:1C-3).

���� "Department" means
the Department of Environmental Protection.

���� �Pesticide� means the same as
that term is defined by section 3 of P.L.1971, c.176 (C.13:1F-3).

���� 2.��� a.� The Department of Environmental
Protection shall, in consultation with the Department of Agriculture, establish
a farm pesticide
, herbicide, and fertilizer

collection and disposal program to collect, transport, and dispose of unused
pesticides
, herbicides, and fertilizers

held or owned by commercial farms.� The farm pesticide
,

herbicide, and fertilizer
collection and
disposal program shall also collect, transport, and recycle pesticide
, herbicide, and fertilizer
containers held or
owned by commercial farms.� Participation in the farm pesticide
, herbicide, and fertilizer
collection and
disposal program by commercial farms shall be voluntary.��

���� b.��� In implementing the farm
pesticide
, herbicide, and fertilizer

collection and disposal program, pursuant to this subsection, the department
shall:

���� (1)� strategically place
collection sites in diverse regions of the State, including at least one
collection site in each of the northern, central, and southern regions of the
State, to ensure program accessibility for all commercial farms;

���� (2)� offer at least two
collection events per year in each collection site;

���� (3)� contract with, and
provide oversight of, entities qualified to safely collect, transport, and
dispose of pesticides
, herbicides, and fertilizers
;

���� (4)� contract with, and
provide oversight of, entities qualified to safely collect, transport, and
recycle pesticide, herbicide, and fertilizer containers;

���� (5)� appoint local agents or
representatives to inventory collected pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers
and pesticide, herbicide, and fertilizer containers disposed of and recycled by
farms through the program, and to provide that information in a timely manner
to the department; and

���� (6)� provide any other
measures deemed necessary by the department to implement the provisions of this
act.�

���� c.��� Any activity undertaken
pursuant to this section shall comply with relevant department regulations, and
the laws governing registration, collection, transportation, and disposal of
pesticides pursuant to the �Pesticide Control Act of 1971�, P.L.1971, c.176
(C.13:1F-1 et. seq.).

���� d.� The department, in
consultation with the Department of Agriculture, shall prepare and submit an
annual report to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of
P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), summarizing the operations of the farm pesticide,
herbicide, and fertilizer collection and disposal program.� The report shall be
submitted by March 1 of each year and shall be made publicly available on the
department's Internet website.� The report shall include, but not be limited
to:

���� (1) the total quantity and
types of pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and containers collected;

���� (2) participation levels by
region;

���� (3) program expenditures and
funding sources;

���� (4) an assessment of the
environmental benefits of the program; and

���� (5) recommendations for
program improvements.

���� 3.��� a.� The Department of
Agriculture, acting in consultation with the Department of Environmental
Protection, shall engage in a cooperative public education and awareness
campaign, and take other appropriate action, in order to inform farmers about:

���� (1)� the location of
collection sites, and dates of upcoming collection events;

���� (2)� the types of pesticides, herbicides,
fertilizers, and� containers accepted by the program;

���� (3)� the benefits of the farm
pesticide, herbicide, and fertilizer collection and disposal program for
farmers;

���� (4)� the environmental
benefits of properly disposing of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers, and recycling
pesticide,

herbicide, and fertilizer containers; and

���� (5)� any other information
about the farm pesticide, herbicide, and fertilizer collection and disposal
program to increase awareness of the program and promote farmer participation.

���� b.��� The information prepared
pursuant to this section, and any additional information concerning the
provisions of this act, shall be conspicuously posted on the Department of
Agriculture�s Internet website and shall be updated, by the department, as
necessary.

���� 4.���
The Department of Environmental Protection, in consultation with the
Department of Agriculture, shall adopt rules and regulations, pursuant to the
�Administrative Procedure Act,� P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), as may be
necessary to implement the provisions of this act.

���� 5.��� This act shall take
effect on the 180th day after the date of enactment, but the Commissioner of
Environmental Protection and Secretary of Agriculture may take such
anticipatory administrative action in advance thereof as shall be necessary for
the implementation of this act.

STATEMENT

����� This bill would direct the Department of
Environmental Protection (DEP), in consultation with the Department of
Agriculture, to create a farm pesticide, herbicide, and fertilizer collection
and disposal program to collect, transport, and dispose of pesticides,
herbicides, and fertilizers held or owned by commercial farms.� Participation
in the program by commercial farms would be voluntary.

����� In implementing the program, the DEP would: (1)
strategically place collection sites in diverse regions of the State; (2) offer
at least two collection events per year in each collection site; (3) contract
with, and provide oversight of, entities qualified to safely collect and
dispose of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers, and their containers; and
(4) appoint local agents or representatives to inventory pesticides,
herbicides, and fertilizers, and their containers collected and disposed of or
recycled through the program.� The DEP would also be required to develop and
publish an annual report that provides information about the program.

����� The Department of Agriculture, acting in consultation
with the DEP, would establish a cooperative public education and awareness
campaign to inform farmers about: (1) the location of collection sites, and
dates of upcoming collection events; (2) the types of pesticides, herbicides,
and fertilizers and their containers accepted under the program; (3) the
benefits of the program for farmers; and (4) the environmental benefits of the
program.� This information would be posted on the Department of Agriculture�s
Internet website and would be updated as necessary. The bill would take effect
on the 180th day after the date of enactment.