Jalal-Abad Region, Ala-Buka District. Village of Ala-Buka. Pesticide Burial Site_No. 1
The site was used by the so-called Production Association ‘Agricultural Chemistry’ of the Ala-Buka district. The former pesticide warehouse is destroyed, and only reinforced concrete parts remain. The warehouse was cleared, and all pesticides were buried 200 m south of the warehouse (the site is located 50 m from the village boundary). Burial site coordinates: N 41° 23.258´; E 71° 28.877´, elevation 1,210 m, the place is called Mogilnik. The stocks were buried in a pit measuring 5x15 m and covered with soil. Two soil samples were taken from Ala-Buka: A-B-1 (inside the warehouse; composite soil samples from 3 different locations), A-B-2 (outside the warehouse; composite soil samples from 2 different locations) and three samples from the burial site Mogilnik: MOG-1, MOG-2, MOG-3 (composite soil samples from 3 locations; 1 and 2 from the burial site, 3 outside as a background). The warehouse is completely destroyed, there are no hazardous substances, no traces on the soil. In some places, a sharp smell is present. Soil contamination is possible.
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 relocation/storage of previously stored hazardous substances is unknown. During the inventory, a large number of contaminated areas of former warehouses with unidentified hazardous substances, contaminated packaging with pesticide leakage 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. A total of 19 sites were surveyed.
The main sites are the burial grounds Suzak-A, Suzak-B, burials in Ala-Buka, and Zhil-Kol. In 1973, burial Suzak A was conducted in the Ak-Chabyr area of the Suzak district of the Jalal-Abad region, where approximately 2000 - 3000 tons of obsolete 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 Kungay 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 hazardous substances 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 fresh excavations were found.
The burials in Ala-Buka did not undergo proper registration. All hazardous substances from the warehouse (the former pesticide warehouse is destroyed) of the Production Association "Agricultural Chemistry" of the Ala-Buka district were buried 200 m south of the warehouse. The 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 Zhil-Kol indicates that there has been extraction of hazardous substances, most of which may already be irretrievably lost. The surface of the site shows evidence of old excavations. Nearby, another site with deep pits was found, possibly indicating soil contamination. Surrounding pastures are located where animals graze. 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 are no smells, hazardous substances, or traces on the soil in the area. The absence of traces 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 hazardous substances.
Currently, the exact quantity of hazardous substances placed in the burial sites requiring repackaging and storage has not been established. More than 10 cubic meters of hazardous substances 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 waste containing DDT in Central Asian countries (Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan)" plans to dispose of waste at the Suzak-A, Suzak-B burial sites. These works need to be accompanied by the development of project documentation, obtaining a positive conclusion from the state ecological expertise on the disposal technology, feasibility studies, environmental impact assessments, as well as monitoring potential emissions of POPs into the environment throughout the disposal process.
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;
• insufficient laboratory capacity for conducting analyses on obsolete pesticides, including POPs;
• there is no information on the composition of obsolete pesticides in the supervisory authorities;
• additional research is required on the owners of some warehouses/land where points with obsolete pesticides are located.
• training for local government officials, 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 disposal of obsolete pesticides, the exact composition of the waste is necessary. To this end, 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 points contaminated with obsolete 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 carried out 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.
Past inventories did not become the 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 (OP) in Chui, Talas, Naryn, Issyk-Kul, Jalal-Abad, Osh, and Batken regions
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