Ch.12: Pesticide Transport and Storage

2. Transport Regulations

• The federal Department of Transportation (DOT) designates many chemicals as hazardous materials — because they'd pose an unreasonable risk to health, safety, and property if spilled during transport.
• Transporting hazardous materials may require: hazmat training, emergency response information, shipping papers, a vehicle placard, and a Commercial Driver's License (CDL).
• Whether the rules apply depends on the specific pesticide and the amount you move.

3. Checking Product Transport Status

• Check the Transport and Regulatory Information sections of the SDS — Sections 14 and 15 — for DOT regulations.
• Confirm the EPA registration number on the SDS matches the product's label (so the SDS matches the product).
• You can also ask the manufacturer or your distributor.

4. Storage — Benefits & General

• Large amounts → consider a separate building. If inside an existing building, the area needs clearly defined boundaries and warning signs, and it must be kept locked (especially away from children).
• A well-designed storage area: limits access (protects people/animals), allows inventory control, reduces environmental contamination, prevents temperature/moisture damage, safeguards against theft/vandalism/unauthorized use, and lets fire departments know the location of products.

5. Siting & Security

• Not prone to flooding. Keep it at least 100 feet from wellheads, waterways, and sensitive areas (including food/seed/feed storage) — some states require a different setback.
• Always secured (locked if possible), accessible only to authorized personnel. Security lighting and an alarm help (not required).
• Good security safeguards employees and the community, reduces insurance costs, and prevents/reduces theft and vandalism — an incident (spill or theft) can bring lawsuits and costly remediation.

6. Storage Design

• Nonporous floors — spills clean up easily and thoroughly (bare soil would let spills soak in).
• Bright lighting — read labels, spot damaged containers or spills, and clean up.
• Ventilation must direct air to the OUTSIDE — not into another room in the same structure. It aids temperature control and keeps vapors from building up.
• Metal shelving is better than wood (spills on wood soak in and are hard or impossible to clean).
• Plastic or metal bins/trays catch small leaks from liquid containers — but some pesticides react with metal, so check the label.

7. Storage Contents

• Store ONLY pesticide containers, measuring/application equipment, and spill cleanup items.
• NEVER store pesticides with food, feed, seed, plant propagation material, fertilizers, or PPE.
• Remove all pesticides and thoroughly clean the area before using it for any other purpose.
• Before storing: read the label's storage statements; check the container is tightly sealed, undamaged, with an intact, legible label.
• Damaged/leaking container → put it inside another container (a plastic bag for dry formulations) or transfer to a container that held the same product and has an intact label. Inspect containers regularly.
• Some labels have expiration dates. Mark each container with its purchase date, use older products first, and buy only what you need for a single treatment season. A current on-site inventory avoids excess/unusable product and tells you what was in storage after an accident, fire, or theft.
• Put containers on pallets or shelves (prevent water damage/corrosion). Do NOT store dry materials on shelves BELOW liquids (leaks would drip down and contaminate them). Keep a dedicated, separate area for pesticides or empty, triple-rinsed containers awaiting disposal.

8. Temporary Storage

• Pesticides temporarily kept at a mixing/loading or application site must be covered, secured, and/or guarded to prevent contamination, theft, exposure, or other mishaps.

9. Returning Pesticides to Storage

• Always store pesticides in their original containers — or, if state law allows, a properly labeled service container.
• Never use any other container. Using food containers (milk jugs, coffee cans, soft drink bottles) is illegal and dangerous, because people associate the container's shape, size, and color with its usual contents.

Key Vocabulary