Russia cleaning up its pesticides 

The Russians are now receiving Danish assistance to dispose of the large stocks of the discontinued pesticides that farmers have been using for combating pests and plant diseases since the seventies. The unused pesticides, which today are often stored in old paper bags, are not just obsolete and prohibited, but they also constitute a danger to public health and the environment.

In the middle of January, COWI will start on a pilot project in the two major oblasts (counties) of Pskov and Vologda, whose combined population amounts to about two millions. Here consultants will draw up a stock list, which will provide a survey of the pesticides and how many tons of each is to be found on the farms.

Training local populations

Initially, COWI will be participating in training local populations to collect these pesticides in safety-approved drums and provide guidance on the type of safety equipment required to handle the hazardous chemicals. Subsequently, our consultants will draw up a plan for how the Russians may collect, package and destroy pesticides in the future.

“The objective is to set up a nationwide collection initiative in all the Russian oblasts, where one of the challenges will be to determine who will own the pesticides in the final analysis. It costs money to destroy dangerous substances subsequently, whether they are burned or destroyed in some other way,” says Mr Jørn Lauridsen, project manager at COWI.

International convention

In 2002, Russia signed the global Stockholm Convention intended to bring to an end the use in farming and other areas of a number of pesticides known as POPs (Persistent Organic Pollutants). However, as yet the Russians have failed to ratify the agreement.

At the moment, COWI is carrying out corresponding pilot projects in the Ukraine and Belarus, where it has been estimated that about 20,000 tons and 6,500 tons respectively of old pesticides are to be found.

DANCEE is providing a grant of DKK 6 million to the Russian project, which will run over a two-year period.

Published: 19.02.2004