ELENA MANVELYAN, AWHHE, ARMENIAIPEN General Assembly &

Global Toxics-Free Future ForumAlmaty, Kazakhstan

18th – 22nd October, 2010

Great number of unsafe and obsolete pesticides (OPs) were accumulated across the world threatening human health and the environment

The total estimated volume of OPs in the EU ( new member states, the accession countries, EECCA) - about 200,000 tons

Obsolete pesticides although banned since many years, are still presented in the environment and in agricultural products

OPs seriously risk undermining agricultural trade between the EU and non-EU countries from the former Soviet Union.

OPs could wash into floodwaters

Designed in late 70-ties Created in 1982; clay lock 2,5 m Contains more then 500 tones of pesticides Persistent organochlorines toxic chemicals (POPs)

compose more than 60% DDT, HCH etc. Located on the top of the hill, 800 meters away from two

villages Location in the active landslide area The landslide has been dislocated about 12,5m since 1982 Currently belongs to Yerevan district

View of the Obsolete Pesticides Burial

Landslide Area Around the Burial

Sharing Global day of action on POPs in Armenia, UNIDO through IPEP, 2004

Toxic Chemical risk assessment and POPs awareness, information sharing IPEN, Jenifer Altman and Mitchell Kapor Foundation; Tides Foundation. 2001, 2004, 2005)

Environmental security for residents of Ararat Oblast; a burial site of obsolete and banned pesticides in Armenia. IPEP, 2004-2005

Towards Toxic Free Future 4 steps, USAID, 2004-2007 Moving Towards Pesticide Reduction Usage. GGF, 2005 Empowering the Armenian public to take actions towards

Environmentally sound waste management IPEN, 2006 SAICM- Global Commitment to Protect Health and the Environment

IPEN. 12.08- 03.09 Scaling up Experience in Improvement of Chemical Safety to

Contribute to Poverty Reduction in Rural Armenia. EU, 2010-2011. Joint project with ARNIKA

Out of 150 samples of the soil, water, vegetations 35,3% contained DDT, DDE, HCCH in levels from 3 to 1000 times exceeding “permitted” levels

Out of 42 samples of breast milk 100% contained DDT, DDE, HCCH in levels from traces till 0,3 mg/l (for

cow milk permitted level 0.05mg/l)

(AWHHE, 2004)

Monitoring Research Advocacy campaign Mass media campaign Lobbing policy makers Networking with national NGOs and IOs Collaboration with the Government, Academy institutions

and International missions in Armenia Fundraising Highlighting the crosscutting nature of the problem

Media coverage Public hearing in Brussels 2003 and 2010 Governmental decision on ensuring of pesticides burial site safety April,2004 AWHHE membership in interagency commission and working groups Lobbying with OSCE to include burial site in their agenda, providing expertise Involvement of NGO network in the activities Implementation of grant projects Organization of the regional conference in 2007 with

participation of IPEN experts

Partnership for Achieving Partnership for Achieving Chemical Safety in Chemical Safety in ArmeniaArmeniaRegional ConferenceRegional Conference 29-31, October, 2007 29-31, October, 2007

Research activities of AWHHE (sampling, publications, etc) Public education campaigns brochure, booklets posters Experience and produced materials shared through IPEN

and WECF networks AWHHE technical and informational assistance to an

international independent organization and experts (May, 2006; April, 2010) to carry out a preliminary assessment of the pesticides storage sites in Armenia

Mini Public Hearing Mini Public Hearing in Brussels, 2010in Brussels, 2010

Joint initiative of Ria Oomen-Ruijten, MEP, John Vijgen director of the International HCH & Pesticides Association (IHPA) and Esther de Lange a member of the environment committee in the EU parliament to raise attention, get obsolete pesticides on the European agenda and aim at a permanent international cooperation instrument

There are available alternatives to waste incineration for destruction of POPs pesticides : ◦ Gas Phase Chemical Reduction◦ Sodium reduction◦ Base Catalysed Dechlorination◦ Solvated electron◦ Electrochemical◦ Copper Mediated Destruction◦ Super-critical water oxidation◦ Ball milling

These alternative technologies were already used to clean up contaminated sites in Central and Eastern Europe Some of them are expensive, but there are also available emerging cheaper technologies close to commercial scale operation Use of these technologies in more operations will make them even more accessible to developing countries and countries with economies in transition

Final solution to the burial site problem should be the responsibility of the Government through support by an international organization/company with proven experience in this field in countries with similar conditions as in Armenia.

The company should have internationally recognized permits for destruction of the pesticides waste.

The construction of a plant for treatment and destruction of obsolete pesticides in Armenia is not reasonable taking into account the high costs for construction.

Health and environmental risk assessment in the close located villages should be carried out

A specific monitoring program should be established and implemented accordingly

Public participation in decision making including public hearing is strongly recommended

The Nubarashen emergency burial site is not the only POPs/Pesticides burial site in Armenia: the problem of clean up and elimination of other OP stockpiles in Armenia should be solved together with burial site problem