Batken Region, Leilek District, Batken City, Batken Agricultural Chemistry, Destroyed Warehouse of Obsolete Pesticides
The warehouse is completely destroyed, there is no hazardous waste, and no traces on the ground. According to local residents, there may be buried hazardous waste in the pit for the press (through partial backfilling with soil). A sharp smell is occasionally detected.
In the Batken region, 3 sites were identified from previous inventories. One additional site was indicated by territorial representatives of the State Agency for Environmental Protection and Forestry (former agricultural chemical warehouse near the city of Batken). In total, 4 sites were surveyed.
At site WS-218 in the Batken agricultural chemistry of the Leilek district, there are no stored hazardous waste, and there are also no traces on the ground. According to local residents, there may be buried hazardous waste in the pit for the press (through partial backfilling with soil). A sharp smell is occasionally detected. It is difficult to assess the total amount of contaminated soil or buried pesticides; there are contaminated areas with an approximate volume of up to 15 cubic meters.
At site WS178/WS-127 in the Leilek district, in the village of Besh-Bala, about 50 barrels of Nitrafen were buried in 2000-2002. According to eyewitnesses, in 2005, the burial was excavated, the barrels were sold, and only 3 full barrels of Nitrafen remained. The area of the former burial is located 50-100 meters from the settlement and 300 meters from the river. The burial site appears to be destroyed, and according to local residents, the metal barrels were later stolen. Soil contamination is possible. It is difficult to assess the total amount of contaminated soil or buried pesticides; there are places with atypical dark spots with an approximate volume of up to 10 cubic meters.
The warehouse of the former Raizselkhozkhimia WS179/WS-128 in the Leilek district, village of Bulak-Bashy, is privately owned and is not guarded around the clock. The distance from the nearest house is about 50 meters. The warehouse, where a lot of hazardous waste is stored, is not locked, and the window is open. There is a possibility of unauthorized access. The roof of the warehouse is partially destroyed, and there are hazardous waste in damaged packaging weighing 4500 kg (Protrazine), with a sharp smell. There are no metal barrels.
To date, despite the abundance of previously implemented projects for the inventory of obsolete pesticides, contrary to national legislation:
• there are no laboratory data bases on the composition of waste;
• there are no Waste Passports;
• regular monitoring of the condition of obsolete 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;
• laboratories have insufficient capacity to conduct analyses on obsolete pesticides, including POPs;
• there is no information on the composition of obsolete pesticides in the regulatory bodies;
• further research is required on the owners of some warehouses/land where points with obsolete pesticides are located.
• training for local government employees and regulatory and supervisory bodies 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 disposal of obsolete pesticides, the exact composition of the waste is necessary. To achieve 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 condition of pollution points with obsolete pesticides and to repackage and place the waste in a temporary storage facility that meets national legislation requirements. Repackaging, construction of a temporary storage facility, and disposal must be accompanied by an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) procedure and obtaining a positive conclusion from the state ecological expertise. For all waste, the owner must provide Waste Passports and obtain permits for the storage of hazardous waste.
The process of storing and disposing of hazardous waste must be under the control of environmental regulatory bodies.
To achieve this, 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 obsolete 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 obsolete pesticides.
Full report on the inventory of obsolete pesticides in Chui, Talas, Naryn, Issyk-Kul, Jalal-Abad, Osh, and Batken regions
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