Problem overview:

     Awareness and visions: Obsolete pesticides that have been stored for decades are causing health and environmental concerns. The government is finding the most efficient alternative to manage these toxic wastes.

     Meeting information requirements: Consultants have come up with a number of options for Pakistan to get rid of these pesticides. Pakistan needs to decide which alternative is most soundness and cost efficient. To assist in decision-making, pilot projects, scoping process and feasibility studies are being carried out.

Background:

      Assessing the best alternative to dispose obsolete pesticide

      Pesticides have been widely used in agriculture because of its benefit in reducing damages from insects, disease and weed and increasing additional harvest reaped in each crop. Despite its value, people are now aware of the environmental damages from overuse of pesticides. These chemical substances have a long life span and can accumulate in a living organism. Switching to natural pest control or using safer formulas have resulted in an accumulation of obsolete pesticide stock. Disposing obsolete pesticide must be done.

      Pakistan holds a large stock of obsolete pesticides. The stocks accumulated up until 1980, when national requirements were purchased centrally by the Government. The quantity has been estimated to lie between 3,000 and 5,000 tonnes. The stocks are held in an estimated 200 major stores (tonne quantities) and up to 1,700 Field Assistant stores (typically containing tens to hundreds of kilograms). The stocks are predominantly in the cotton growing areas of the Provinces of Sind and Punjab, but there are also stocks in Northwest Frontier Province and Balochistan. The stocks comprise a large range of formulated pesticide types predominantly organophosphate and organochlorine insecticides. The main hazard associated with the pesticides is their acute toxicity, with some of the product active ingredients falling within the highest category of toxicity according to the WHO system of classification, namely "extremely hazardous". The stocks, having been held for around two decades or more, are now in a dilapidated condition, with considerable leakage, and pilferage. This presents a serious risk to those who have to enter the stores. Because store integrity and security is not good in some locations, it also presents a serious risk to the local communities and to the environment. There is apparently some evidence of contaminated wells. There have been complaints and expressions of concern from some communities.

      Fortunately, after pesticide purchase moved to the private sector in 1980, there has been little subsequent accumulation of pesticide stock sand hence further stock accumulation is not seen as a problem for the future. The problem can, therefore, be restricted to how to collect and dispose of the existing obsolete stocks in a safe and environmentally responsible manner.

      There have been several significant past initiatives to deal with the problem. The first was in 1987 when USAID sponsored the visit to Pakistan of a team of hazardous waste disposal experts to assess the situation. The team estimated the stocks and associated hazardous materials at some 8,000 tones. Some of the stores visited were considered to present a serious danger to those entering them. The team made recommendations for the disposal of the stocks.

      Following the above visit, USAID and USEPA, in collaboration with the Government of Pakistan and other, carried out a disposal experiment (1.5 tonnes of pesticide) using a modern cement kiln at D.G. Khan. Although the experiment was claimed a technical success, there was controversy related to apparent bird deaths and a safety concern from the nearby community, and a local opposition to cement kiln use developed.

      Subsequently a proposal to dump these expired pesticides in the desert areas of Punjab province remained under consideration of the provincial government. In fact some land fill sites were also prepared. However, before implementation could progress, several NGOs voiced their concern against this approach from environmental point of view. As a result this proposal was shelved.

      Later on, several other half-hearted attempts to deal with the problem remained under consideration. None came to fruition, partially due to the inability of the Government organizations to find a viable solution to this problem as well as public opposition of any unscientifically proven method of disposal of these expired pesticides.

      The unsuccessful results of past efforts in this regard brought The Royal Netherlands Embassy (RNE), Islamabad aware of this problem in 1996 relating to the obsolete stock problem and the potential serious risk it presented. It was also recognized that some of the stocks may have originated from the Netherlands and hence they must be called to assist in the disposal of the pesticide stocks. Against this background the RNE commissioned a full-scale study with the following findings:

1. The current level of stock is not known, neither are the numbers of stores and their locations. The best estimate is 3,000 tonnes of pesticide stocks and perhaps 500 tonnes of associated waste.
   
   
2. There are well established procedures and technical options for dealing with the problem, and they have been used successfully in a number of recent (albeit smaller) international projects.
   
   
3. The only generally acceptable disposal process for the collected stocks and waste is high temperature incineration in special incinerators having flu gas treatment units that meet internationally acceptable emission standards. Most of the merchant incinerators are located in Europe.
   
   
4. A number of international hazardous waste disposal companies have submitted offers for undertaking the work, involving offshore incineration.
   
   
5. Although the stock repacking and site clean-up elements are well defined procedurally, there are several final disposal options (all involving high temperature incineration). The options are:
   • Off-shore incineration in Europe
     
     
   • Off-shore incineration in India
     
     
   • Incineration in local cement kilns
     
     
   • Installing a local rotary kiln incinerator in Pakistan.

      On the basis of above, a Scoping Inventory is being prepared to identify those stores and stocks posing the greatest risk to the communities. Following a Pilot Project would be considered out to collect and dispose, by offshore incineration in Europe, of 500 tonnes of the highest risk stocks/stores. Happening in concurrently, is the task to carry out a detailed inventory of the remaining stores and train a local team to carry out the hazardous and complex task of subsequent site clean-ups and product repacking. This project is estimated to cost US$ 2.2 million, including Scoping Inventory and would be implemented in about 2 years.

      Once the detailed inventory produced during the Pilot Project becomes available, a feasibility study of the local rotary kiln and regional options would be completed, cost-estimated and evaluated, then to be followed by the collection and disposal of the remaining some 3,000 tones of stocks and associated materials. The outcome of this could either be to continue with offshore incineration or to switch to one of the other options (or a mix).

      The latest proposal prima facia supported by the donor has yet to achieve full national consensus on the soundness of the approach and its technical efficiency on which consultation must commence immediately for their widest acceptance and support.