Issyk-Kul District, Village of Kashat. Partially Destroyed Warehouse of Outdated Pesticides

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Coordinates: 42.718000, 77.450464



In total, 9 sites were identified in the Issyk-Kul region from previous inventories, three sites had incorrect coordinates (located in the depths of Lake Issyk-Kul, in mountainous areas without access, and among agricultural fields (without visible outlines of buildings).

A total of 6 sites were surveyed, at the site in the city of Balykchy there are repackaged pesticides stored in 7 containers, with tightly closed doors (there are locking welded seams on the doors). The containers are exposed to external influences (precipitation, frost), which in turn leads to the oxidation of the metal walls and roofs of the containers. Waste passports are available (Appendix 6). There is a distinct sharp smell on the territory and in the empty destroyed warehouse. A pile of construction debris with a distinct smell of pesticides was also found. Some buildings, where pesticides were previously stored, have been dismantled since the last inventory.
The site in the settlement of Chepelik has been completely transformed and built up with new households (no pesticides found, smell absent). According to local residents, there is a plot behind the garden farm where nothing grows. At the time of the inventory, the fields were flooded with water, and it was not possible to visit the site for soil sampling.
At the site in the settlement of Kyzyl-Suu, there is a completely destroyed warehouse, there is a sharp smell, and a large amount of polyethylene packaging from nitrate.
The other warehouses have a smaller amount of pesticides compared to previous data. Some pesticides were lost during the change of ownership of the sites, some due to atmospheric precipitation (when the roofs of the warehouses were destroyed), pesticides stored in metal containers could represent a secondary metal reuse interest.
The total amount of pesticides requiring repackaging and storage is more than 15 cubic meters. In addition, there is a large amount of contaminated dust/soil/construction debris (the exact amount is currently not established, presumably more than 40 cubic meters).

To date, despite the abundance of previously implemented projects for the inventory of outdated pesticides, contrary to national legislation:
• there are no laboratory data bases on the composition of waste;
• waste passports are absent;
• regular monitoring of the state of outdated pesticide waste is not conducted (only within the framework of international projects);
• there is no executive authority responsible for the storage and disposal of waste;
• insufficient laboratory capacity for conducting analyses on outdated pesticides, including POPs;
• there is no information on the composition of outdated pesticides in the supervisory authorities;
• further research is required on the owners of some warehouses/land where points with outdated pesticides are located.
• training of local government employees, supervisory and control authorities is necessary;
• it is necessary to tighten responsibility for improper handling of hazardous waste.

Conclusions
In accordance with the Stockholm Convention on POPs (Article 6 (d) (ii)), POP-containing waste must be destroyed. To find environmentally acceptable methods for the disposal of outdated pesticides, the exact composition of the waste is necessary. For this, it is necessary to address the issue of equipping laboratories, training personnel, and obtaining accreditation in accordance with GOST ISO/IEC 17025-2019.

In addition, it is necessary to continuously monitor the condition of points contaminated with outdated pesticides and to repack and place waste in a temporary storage warehouse that meets national legislation requirements. Repackaging, construction of a temporary storage warehouse, and disposal must be accompanied by an EIA procedure and obtaining a positive conclusion from the state environmental expertise. For all waste, the owner must provide waste passports and obtain permits for the storage of hazardous waste.

The process of storage and disposal of hazardous waste must be under the control of environmental supervisory authorities.
To this end, it is necessary to initiate the process of maximum legalization of the data obtained from the inventory.
Previous inventories did not become the basis for creating a monitoring system for the management of outdated pesticides. As a result, a large volume of uncontrolled hazardous waste has become a threat to the environment, life, and health of the population living near the points of placement of outdated pesticides.

Full report on the inventory of outdated pesticides (OP) in Chuy, Talas, Naryn, Issyk-Kul, Jalal-Abad, Osh, and Batken regions