Updated National Implementation Plan for the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs).

Updated National Implementation Plan for the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) is a nationwide policy document, outlining the process planned in the sphere of chemicals and wastes management, including that of POPs, and is determined by such global strategic documents as Agenda 21, Declaration on Sustainable Development adopted at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg, 2002) and by the state environmental policy of the RoA. Energy sector is one of the main sources of environmental pollution by polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). PCBs have been wildly used in electrical equipment of various types (power transformers, capacitors, greasing/lubricating systems; rectifiers, high voltage switches and breakers, compressors, etc.).
The main objective of the NIP is protect human health and the environment from POPs consistent with the obligation of the Stockholm Convention. Each action plan within the NIP details the actions RoA is planning to undertake and the necessary timeframe and financial needs. The NIP document also defines commitments and responsibilities of the various government agencies and the actions they plan to undertake in respect of POPs. The specific objectives of NIP implementation are: (a) to have capacity at the national level for the cost-efficient management of POPs; (b) to have broad participation during the implementation process; (c) to assure sustainable economic and social development while phasing out POPs; (d) to integrate POPs related measures within the national policies on chemicals management, environmental protection, public health; (e) to facilitate efforts of dealing with broader environmental issues such as pollution and hazardous wastes control and overall pollutant releases and the development and strengthening of national sustainable development strategies; and (f) to facilitate country ‘s overall efforts in coordinating national approaches to other chemical related Regional and International Agreements; specifically, the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade and the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal.
Based on the PCB inventory it is recommend that: (a) the inventory of PCB should be further continued with identification of transformers with industrial ownership, registration of capacitors and PCB wastes; (b) self-accounting/registration of PCB containing equipment has to be implemented by law; (c) guidelines for environmentally sound management of PCBs should be developed and their use shall be obligatory; (d) phase-out plans should be developed for the identified PCB-containing equipment, particularly for those that cannot be cleaned, retrofilled and further used; (e) enforcement of the PCB related new regulatory measures should be strengthened; and (f) monitoring frequency of PCB presence in the environment should be increased.
It is recommended that: (a) the polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) inventory is developed in detail, including chemical analysis to confirm the presence of PBDEs in electronic equipment (EEE), waste electronic and electric equipment (WEEE), vehicles and recycling activities; and (b) the national laboratory capacity for the analysis of PBDEs is strengthened.
Measures to reduce Unintentional Persistent Organic Pollutants (UPOPs) in open burning of dumpsites may include but not limited to: (a) introducing new regulatory measures for municipal waste management and banning open burning; (b) promoting investments for improved municipal waste management infrastructures; (c) providing incentives, benefits aimed at reducing the volume of wastes exposed to open burning, supporting recycling activities; (d) implementing better municipal waste management practices and undertake pilot studies; (e) strengthening enforcement; (f) introducing increased fines for open burning; and (g) providing trainings, and awareness-raising for the public at large to discourage open burning.
The main part of pesticides storehouses and their surrounding areas are privatized; certain quantities of obsolete pesticides are still stored at the warehouses; pesticide storage areas, as well as their surroundings are contaminated and pose hazards to the environment and human health. In most of the warehouses pesticides are stored in bags whose labels are unreadable, bags are torn, and sometimes there are no packaging materials, – only piles of pesticides mixed with soil and construction/demolition debris. Obsolete pesticides need to be repacked. The presence of pesticides at studied storehouses shows that it is necessary to continue the inventory of contaminated areas, especially around these locations.
The Ministry of Agriculture develops and implements state policy in the field of food safety, phytosanitary. Monitoring in 2002-2003, shows that residual content of POPs decreased hundredfold, but the regular monitoring on POPs residues in the surface waters, soil and foodstuffs is still necessary. Despite the prohibitive actions taken, the residual amounts of DDT continue to be revealed in environmental media (soil, surface water, water of Sevan Lake), foodstuffs and humans. Fires happen commonly in both municipal landfills and on illegal waste dumpsites. During the burning of these chemicals dioxins and other hazardous compounds may be generated, polluting various environmental media, mostly air. From the polluted areas migration of hazardous compounds take place into underground and surface waters, plants, agricultural products. These pollutants can enter and biomagnify in the food chain and subsequently expose wildlife and humans. Despite the 40-year period of prohibition to apply OCPs from Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) group in agriculture, they are still present in environmental media (matrices) and in foodstuff.