Best Management Practices for Agrichemical Handling and Farm Equipment211 Maintenance

摘要

Farm maintenance areas are those sites where pesticides are mixed and loaded into211u001eapplication equipment; tractors and other pieces of farm equipment are serviced; 211u001eor pesticides, fuel, fertilizer, and cleaning solvents are stored. These are the 211u001eareas of the farm where accidental pollution of soil, surface water, or ground 211u001ewater is most likely to occur. The purpose of this document is to familiarize 211u001efarmers, farm managers, and farm workers about Best Management Practices (BMPs) 211u001eand pollution prevention actions that can be implemented at farm maintenance 211u001eareas to further protect the environment and improve the efficiency of the farm. 211u001eAlthough certain rules are mentioned, this publication is an educational, not a 211u001eregulatory, document. Always check with state and local authorities, because 211u001elocal ordinances may be more restrictive than federal or state regulations. Most 211u001epollution from farms is called nonpoint source pollution. Unlike point sources, 211u001ewhich include factories and sewage treatment plants, nonpoint pollution is from 211u001ediffuse sources and is associated with the long term effects of every day 211u001eactivities, such as stormwater runoff from roads, parking lots, suburban areas, 211u001eand farms. Water is the primary mechanism for the transport of dissolved 211u001echemicals through the soil. Nonpoint source pollution is carried primarily by 211u001erainfall and irrigation water, causing pollutants which have accumulated on the 211u001eland surface to run off into surface water or to leach into the ground water. 211u001eMany of Floridas water resources are particularly susceptible to pollution 211u001ebecause of the States unique geology. Floridians obtain almost all of their 211u001edrinking water from ground water via wells. Ground water supplies often lie near 211u001ethe surface and may be overlain by nothing but sandy soil. With repeated spills 211u001eover a period of time, these ground water supplies can become contaminated. In 211u001eaddition to all of the crop-based factors, users of agrichemicals need to 211u001econsider the soils susceptibility to leaching, the distance to the water table, 211u001ethe slope of the land, and the distance to surface waters, especially sinkholes, 211u001ewhich provide a direct pathway to ground waters. Clay or muck soils which are 211u001ecapable of binding certain pesticides very tightly (making leaching less likely), 211u001emay have problems with soil contamination due to repeated small spills over a 211u001elong time. This can create a hazard for people exposed to the soil through dust 211u001eor other pathways. Contamination can occur when pesticides, lubricants, solvents, 211u001eor other chemicals are spilled, rinsewater from container or equipment cleaning 211u001eis dumped on the ground or discharged into surface water, or improperly cleaned 211u001econtainers are stockpiled or buried. Proper management of farm maintenance areas 211u001eis an important part of responsible chemical and pesticide use. Proper handling 211u001eand disposal practices at these sites can help avoid serious environmental 211u001eproblems, protect the farms water supply, reduce exposure of the owner to legal 211u001eliability for contamination.