New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) says a fall CleanSweepNY collection program will take place Oct. 19-21 in DEC's Region 6, which covers St. Lawrence, Jefferson, Lewis, Herkimer and Oneida counties.

The local dropoff location will be in Potsdam. Details are forthcoming.

CleanSweepNY provides businesses, farms and institutions with an opportunity to ensure proper disposal of unwanted and/or obsolete pesticides and other chemicals, including elemental mercury, to help provide a healthy and sustainable New York. CleanSweepNY programs are not available to homeowners. Registration is required.

The program is directed at agricultural and non-agricultural professional pesticide applicators, schools and business users such as golf courses, cemeteries, and marinas. Additionally, empty, triple-rinsed HDPE-2 plastic pesticide containers and nursery pots will be collected and recycled.

This fall's collection event is the 14th since the program's inception in 2002. To date, CleanSweepNY has collected and disposed of over 1,015,432 pounds of hazardous chemicals, more than 657 pounds of elemental mercury, and over 4,000 plastic pesticide containers for recycling that would have otherwise wound up in landfills.

Registration packets will be mailed to potential participants upon request.

To request a packet or to get more information, visit www.cleansweepny.org or call (877) SWEEPNY.