National Implementation Plan for Guyana under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.

The National Implementation Plan for Guyana under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (NIP) aims at protecting human health and the environment from persistent organic pollutants. The timeframe of this NIP is 5 years covering the period between 2013 and 2018. This NIP lays down strategies on POPs issue and sound chemical management in accordance with the Stockholm Convention. This NIP identifies critical areas, including: i) ensuring legislation and regulation covers all POPs and products containing them; ii) addressing registration and reporting of exemptions as required; iii) addressing continued presence of PCBs in the national electrical system; iv) environmentally sound disposal of current POPs/obsolete pesticide stockpiles and wastes, and ensuring capacity to do so in the future; v) identification, containment and elimination of POPs contaminated sites; vi) addressing priority sources of unintentional POPs releases, specifically those associated with combustion of waste and biomass, and vii) development of human resource capacity and technical capabilities in the country through educational programs, training and targeted research and development.
The NIP Action Plan is structured into 14 principal activities by following the Convention text, particularly in correlation with specific articles. An Inter-agency Coordinating Committee (ICC) will be established to supervise NIP implementation and oversee convention compliance. The focal point support and institutional capacity will be strengthened for the purposes of administering Convention activities and NIP implementation. The Pesticide and Toxic Chemicals Control Regulations coverage will be expanded for new POPs chemicals and products containing POPs chemicals. Hazardous waste import/export regulation will be finalized to define regulatory authority and enforce the procedures and capacity covering import, transit and export of hazardous waste in accordance with Basel Convention. Hazardous waste regulations will be updated to include all POPs chemicals and products containing POPs and their environmentally sound management. The policy and regulatory actions will be initiated on contaminated sites, including POPs contaminated sites. The laboratory and environmental monitoring capacity for POPs chemicals will be upgraded. The bans will be imposed on import and use of all Annex A POPs chemicals and products containing them except PCBs. Regulatory requirements will be set out for identification, registration, labeling of PCB containing electrical equipment. Comprehensive inventory of PCB contamination will be carried out. Measures will be undertaken to restrict import and use of DTT and PFOS. The compliance with exemption compliance requirements applicable to DDT and PFOS in place, will be ensured. Internationally benchmarked limits will be set for emission/release of principal POPs chemicals to air, water and land. PCDD/F release will be reduced by developing comprehensive and environmentally appropriate solid waste management infrastructure and applying upgraded emission controls to biomass to energy combustion processes. The consolidated obsolete pesticide collection and storage program will be developed. Packaging and export for environmentally sound disposal of current obsolete pesticide stockpiles will be arranged. Site assessment will be carried out and containment of potentially pesticide contaminated sites will be evaluated and further screening of potentially PCB contaminated sites will be undertaken. The treatment/disposal capability will be developed for PCB contaminated soil and other solid materials. Regular monitoring and evaluation of the NIP implementation will be carried out.
This Plan addresses the social and environmental impacts of POPs use and release in the environment and the risks to human health related to the presence of POPs in food. The impacts of chemicals on human health and the environment will be monitored and basic R&D capability will be established for chemicals contaminated site remediation technology. Active information exchange will be implemented through public disclosure practices with respect to chemicals confidentiality during registration to ensure disclosure of health and safety information. The awareness of institutions, non-governmental stakeholders and public will be raised on POPs and chemicals.