Jalal-Abad Region, Bazar-Korgon District, Seydy-Kum Village Destroyed Warehouse of Obsolete Pesticides
Site No. 9 is located in the center of the agricultural zone, 450 m from the Kök-Art River. Surrounding the site are rice fields. The buildings are destroyed, with only the concrete foundation of a large warehouse remaining. Small amounts of pesticide powders are scattered on the concrete floor, and there is still a smell of pesticides. Near the warehouse was an airstrip. The runway itself has disappeared, with its remnants forming part of a dirt road through the fields. There is still a mixing basin, although it is partially filled with mud and soil. The contents of the basin had a strong pesticide smell, and local residents complained about the odor. The mixing basin is located a few meters from the border with Uzbekistan, next to a wide irrigation canal. A soil sample (SK-1) was taken, coordinates N 40° 56.066´, E 72° 34.189´. This site can be considered a lost site, as no pesticides can be collected. Warehouse: 50x12 m. The warehouse is completely destroyed, there are no signs of pesticide presence on the soil. In places, a sharp smell is noted. ~ 2 m3 of mixed unknown pesticides
The greatest anthropogenic impact in the southern regions of the Kyrgyz Republic was experienced by the Jalal-Abad region. 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 leaking pesticides into the soil and groundwater were discovered. In the Jalal-Abad region, more than 11 sites were identified from previous inventories, and an additional 8 sites were indicated by territorial representatives of the State Agency for Environmental Protection and Forestry of the Kyrgyz Republic. A total of 19 sites were surveyed.
The main sites are the burial grounds Suzak-A, Suzak-B, and the burials in Ala-Buka and Zhyl-Kol. In 1973, burial took place at Suzak A in the Ak-Chabyr area of the Suzak district of the Jalal-Abad region, where approximately 2000 - 3000 tons of outdated pesticides were buried in total. 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 Kunghey 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, with video cameras near the guardhouse, powered by 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 area of Zhyl-Kol indicates that there was extraction of pesticides, and a large part of them may already be irretrievably lost. The surface of the site shows signs of old excavations. Nearby, another site with deep pits was discovered, potentially indicating soil contamination. Surrounding pastures are located where animals graze. The burial site is situated 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 signs on the soil in the area. The absence of signs on 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 stored in the burial sites that require repackaging and storage has not been established. More than 10 cubic meters of pesticides remain at 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 DDT-Containing Waste in Central Asian Countries (Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan)" plans to dispose of waste at 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 of 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 conducted projects on 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 bodies;
• additional research is required on the owners of some warehouses/land where points with outdated pesticides are located.
• training for local government officials, supervisory and controlling bodies 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 equipping of laboratories, training of 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 facility that meets national legislation requirements. Repackaging, construction of a temporary storage facility, 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 under the control of environmental supervisory bodies.
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
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