Jalal-Abad Region, City of Jalal-Abad, Industrial Zone. Warehouse with Pesticides
Private warehouse in the city of Jalal-Abad in the industrial zone. Several small companies operate in this area. The central warehouse of Jalal-Abad was the Central Warehouse of agrochemicals. There are two separate buildings for storing pesticides. One is located at the back with a canopy containing several empty and partially filled metal barrels. Their estimated quantity is 500 pcs. The barrels have no labels. The other is a large warehouse building with 7 separate sections and 13 entrances. Of the 7 sections, only 3 contain pesticides: sections 2, 3, and 5. Canopy: 18 x 6 m; Warehouse: 150 x 30 m. The warehouses are privately owned, completely cleared for rent, and according to the manager, there is no information on where the pesticides went, no smell, no pesticides, no traces in the soil. Canopy: • -2x 200 l metal barrels, full, unknown liquid • -500x 100 l metal barrels, empty or nearly empty Section 2: • ~ 30 tons of whitish powder in combined 20 kg paper and polyethylene bags (according to reports, this is MgCl2, no labels) Section 3: • ~ 14.5 tons of Protrazine powder in 20 kg combined polyethylene and paper bags • ~ 13 tons of Rideon powder in 11 kg paper boxes • ~ 2 tons of 2,4,5-Trichlorophenolate-copper powder in 15 kg paper barrels • 1.2 tons of Fenturam powder in 15 kg paper barrels • ~ 4 tons of DDT powder (no labels) in 20 kg paper bags Section 5: • 300x 27 kg empty aluminum barrels of insecticide BI 58 EK (active ingredient - Dimethoate) • 15x 200 l full metal barrels with 72% Molinate liquid • 4x 25 l metal canisters with 36 EC Heparil liquid
The Jalal-Abad region has been subjected to the greatest anthropogenic impact in the southern areas of the Kyrgyz Republic. Most warehouses are destroyed, and the territorial movement/location of previously stored pesticides is unknown. During the inventory, a large number of contaminated areas of former warehouses with unidentified pesticides and contaminated packaging with pesticide seepage into the soil and groundwater were discovered. More than 11 sites were identified from past inventories in the Jalal-Abad region, and an additional 8 sites were indicated by territorial representatives of the State Agency for Environmental Protection and Forestry of the Kyrgyz Republic. In total, 19 sites were surveyed.
The main sites are the burial grounds Suzak-A, Suzak-B, and the burials in Ala-Buka and Zhil-Kol. In 1973, the Suzak A burial was conducted in the Ak-Chabyr area of the Suzak district of the Jalal-Abad region, where approximately 2000 - 3000 tons of outdated pesticides were buried. The burial site is fenced with barbed wire, but access is free. This work was funded by a small grants program. There is security, but the guardhouse is destroyed. Signs of recent excavations were found.
In the 1970s-1980s, burials were conducted at the Suzak B burial site in the Tash-Baka Kungoy area, near the village of Kyzyl-Bayram, Jalal-Abad region. According to the State Committee for Ecology and Climate (GKEK), approximately 1300 tons of various pesticides were buried in total. Currently, the condition of the burial site is satisfactory (fenced, there are video cameras near the guardhouse, with autonomous power supply using solar panels). No signs of recent excavations were found.
The burials in Ala-Buka did not undergo proper registration. All pesticides from the warehouse (the former pesticide warehouse is destroyed) of the Production Association "Agricultural Chemistry" in the Ala-Buka district were buried 200 m south of the warehouse. This area has been leveled with imported soil, and a large site has been prepared for construction. Soil monitoring for pesticides is necessary.
The burial site of Zhil-Kol indicates that there has been extraction of pesticides, most of which may have already been irretrievably lost. The surface of the site shows signs of old excavations. Another location with deep pits was found nearby, possibly indicating soil contamination. Surrounding pastures are inhabited by grazing animals. The burial site is located in a small valley. All pesticides from the Uch-Korgon warehouses were brought to this location and buried. According to local residents, the buried stocks were mainly insecticides; cattle were treated with pesticides (presumably DDT).
During the survey, 6 sites in private ownership with partially or completely destroyed warehouses were identified. There is no smell, no pesticides, and no traces in the soil on the territory. The absence of traces in the soil may have been obscured by the application of clean soil, and soil contamination cannot be ruled out. The owners of the sites do not know the locations of the old volumes of pesticides.
Currently, the exact quantity of pesticides located in the burial sites requiring repackaging and storage has not been established. More than 10 cubic meters of pesticides remain in the former warehouses. The approximate amount of contaminated soil is over 60 cubic meters.
It should be noted that the GEF-UNEP project "Demonstration of non-thermal treatment of waste containing DDT in Central Asian countries (Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan)" plans to dispose of waste in the Suzak-A and Suzak-B burial sites. These works must be accompanied by the development of project documentation, obtaining a positive conclusion from the state ecological expertise on the disposal technology, feasibility study, environmental impact assessment, as well as monitoring possible emissions of POPs into the environment throughout the disposal process.
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;
• there are no Waste Passports;
• 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;
• additional research is required on the owners of some warehouses/land where points with outdated pesticides are located.
• training of employees of local self-government bodies, supervisory and controlling authorities is necessary;
• it is necessary to tighten responsibility for improper handling of hazardous waste.
Conclusions
According to the Stockholm Convention on POPs (Article 6 (d) (ii)), waste containing POPs must be destroyed. To find environmentally acceptable methods for the disposal of outdated 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 state of pollution points with outdated pesticides and carry out repackaging and placement of waste in a temporary storage warehouse that meets the requirements of national legislation. Repackaging, construction of a temporary storage warehouse, and disposal must be accompanied by an environmental impact assessment 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 conducted under the supervision of environmental regulatory authorities.
To this end, it is necessary to initiate the process of maximum legalization of the data obtained from the inventory.
Past 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 Chui, Talas, Naryn, Issyk-Kul, Jalal-Abad, Osh, and Batken regions
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