Issyk-Kul Region, Tyup District, Balbay Village, Destroyed Warehouse of Obsolete Pesticides

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Coordinates: 42.786541, 78.296491



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

Six sites were surveyed in total, and 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 factors (precipitation, frost), which in turn leads to the oxidation of the metal walls and roofs of the containers. Waste passports are available (Appendix 6). A sharp odor is distinctly present 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 that previously stored pesticides 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, odor 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, 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, with a sharp smell and a large amount of polyethylene packaging from nitrate.
The other warehouses have a smaller quantity of pesticides compared to previous data. Some pesticides were lost during the change of landowners, and some due to atmospheric precipitation (when the roofs of the warehouses collapsed). Pesticides stored in metal containers could represent an interest for secondary metal use.
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 has not been 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To date, despite the abundance of previously implemented projects for the inventory of outdated pesticides, contrary to national legislation: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•regular monitoring of the state of outdated pesticide waste is not conducted (only within the framework of international projects);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 to conduct analyses on outdated pesticides, including POPs;
•information on the composition of outdated pesticides is absent in the supervisory authorities;
•further research is required on the owners of some warehouses/land where points with outdated pesticides are located;
•training for local government employees, supervisory and controlling 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)), waste containing POPs must be destroyed. To find environmentally acceptable methods for the destruction of outdated pesticides, the exact composition of the waste is necessary. For this, it is essential 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 state of contamination points 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 destruction must be accompanied by an EIA procedure and obtaining a positive conclusion from the state environmental expertise. For all waste, the owner must present waste passports and obtain permits for the storage of hazardous waste.

The process of storing and disposing of hazardous waste must be conducted 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 serve as a 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 Chui, Talas, Naryn, Issyk-Kul, Jalal-Abad, Osh, and Batken regions