Problem: Before modern pesticides were developed, arsenic was commonly used for pest control. In Minnesota in the 1970's it became evident that the amount of buried or otherwise improperly disposed of arsenic in the state was a significant problem. Since the problem was widely spread among a number of sites with relatively small quantities of poison, federal Superfund support was not generally available; since much of the arsenic had come from government pest-control programs, no private firms or individuals were likely to be found liable. Proposed solution: In 1983 Minnesota developed its own Superfund law, primarily aimed at arsenic, which enabled the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to attend to toxic waste pollution problems in the state. First, the MCPA developed a program to try to find as many of the arsenic disposal sites as possible by raising public awareness of the problem within the agricultural community. Once sites were reported, the agency made visits, removing what was easily removable and determining the extent of the other contamination. Poison bait was repackaged more safely, and contaminated sawdust (formerly used as bait) was removed from buildings where it had been used as insulation. Evaluation: The program has helped raise awareness of the problem and has begun to eliminate the poison. Much of the arsenic and contaminated bait has been collected. The problem of eventual disposal, however, has yet to be resolved. Also, there is still probably a good deal of poison that has yet to be found or reported. The process so far, however, has managed to reduce the immediate problem for farmers and landowners, and has helped develop a model for dealing with other cases of widespread small- scale toxic contamination. Contact: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Citation: "Rounding Up A Dangerous Chemical." EPA Journal, v. 11 (April 1985), p. 13. Keywords: environment toxic waste cleanup