Implementation Plan of Permanent Organic Pollutants Stockholm Convention.

Section 3 of the Implementation Plan concerns an overview of the use of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) listed in the annexes of the Convention and the differences in their handling in Estonia: Substances whose disposal is stipulated by the Stockholm Convention (Annex A); Substances whose use must be restricted in accordance with the Convention (Appendix B); Substances that are formed accidentally and enter the environment from anthropogenic sources (Appendix C). The Section also clarifies the use in Estonia of Polychlorinated biphenyls and PCBs and organochlorine plant protection products. In particular section 4 makes recommendations for reduction of POS and prohibition of their conscious production and in use, these are: When finding stocks of organochlorine plant protection products, they must be handled as dangerous as waste and deliver the find to the hazardous waste management company that has the right handle or dispose of organochlorine plant protection products; •Environmental inspection to continue the systematic inspection of PCBs and equipment contaminated with them decontamination control. If a device containing PCBs is detected during the inspection, then the owner must be required to immediately decommission the equipment; •Check the decontamination labeling of equipment containing PCBs; Check companies that dispose of PCBs, so that the destruction of waste containing PCBs meets all requirements; etc.
Section 5 concerns limitation of unintentional POS emissions. Two types of POS emission sources are distinguished: stationary sources and diffuse sources. Important for Estonia are: waste incineration equipment, including co-incineration equipment for domestic, hazardous and medical waste or sewage sludge; cement kilns burning hazardous waste;. open burning of waste, including landfill fires; residential heating stoves; combustion devices that use fossil fuels as fuel; wood and other biomass burning devices; crematoria; motor vehicles; animal waste handling plants; textile and leather dyeing and finishing; shredding equipment for recycling scrap vehicles; melting copper cables with a flame; waste from waste oil processing plants. Emissions can can be reduced by improving the efficiency of combustion processes, by ensuring a sufficiently high temperature and hazardous substances management in industrial process, by replacing with less dangerous substances. In particular to reduce dioxin emissions, it is important to inform the population about the possibilities of reducing non-industrial emissions, especially the harmfulness of waste incineration. In order to avoid fires, it is also necessary to carry out systematic and effective preventive work. To reduce HCB emissions is important to inform the population about household waste burning dangers and the importance of the maintenance of the heating hearths. PCB emissions are localized emissions (mainly energy sector) so technologies need to be improved to reduce them. As general recommendation to reduce POS the Implementation Plan requires to follow the principles of avoiding pollution complexes, POS are transferable in the environment so fall from the air into the soil and water, leach from the soil into the water, etc. To achieve that specific recommendation for each affected element of the environment and its relevant sector are made (to reduce POSs in ambient air the Plan envisages actions in POS emissions in the energy and industrial sectors, in waste management, in household emissions; reduction of POSs in soil; reduction of POSs in the aquatic environment) Also to control of the cross-border movement of goods, so the products would not enter the market
Section 6 concerns limitation of landfills and waste and related POS emissions; "polluter pays" principle, is applied to problematic products. Recommendations include: inform people at risk about possible dangers in the event of a landfill fire; improve monitoring; need to sort waste and improve waste management collection system; take measures to prevent POSs deposited in landfills from re-entering the environment; proper storage of waste; continue the mapping of POS-contaminated areas; carry out removal of contaminated soil in POS-polluted areas and disposal of contaminated soil in accordance with permitted waste operations; dangers arising from residual pollution must be taken into account when preparing plans; etc.