Within the project “Utilization of unsuitable and prohibited pesticides” 100 tons of pesticides have been taken to Hamburg in Germany. Removal of these toxic chemicals lasted from November 27 till December 1. Therefore, on December 3, when the whole world is celebrating the International day of combating pesticides, Lviv oblast really have something to celebrate.
Since the Soviet times on the territory of Lviv oblast remained more than 140 storehouses with prohibited and unsuitable for usage pesticides weighting in total about 800 tons. Prohibited and unsuitable for usage pesticides form a separate class of highly toxic wastes hazardous for people’s health and environment. Because of lack of funds, these poisonous substances are often stored in unsuitable, often almost ruined premises without windows, doors and sometimes without a roof. Every year some money is allocated from local and state budget for utilization of these poisonous chemicals, but these funds are far from being sufficient, and this utilization is done at a snail’s pace. This year within the project “Utilization of unsuitable for usage and prohibited pesticides in the basins of transboundary rivers Syan andWestern Buh”, the European Union being really concerned about having such neighbors, allocated financial funds for utilization of Lviv pesticides. Moreover, in the basin of transboundary rivers, inventory and placement of pesticides into barrels were performed at some storehouses.
“Hamburg (Germany) was chosen as the place of utilization because it is the most beneficial proposal. In Ukraine utilization can be performed only in Shostka (Sumy oblast) by the “Elga” enterprise. But many Ukrainian oblasts are waiting for their turn to take there their pesticides. In the West, where harmful pesticides have been already utilized, such plants stay idle. As a result, because of competition, the price of utilizing a ton of pesticides in Germany is lower than in Ukraine. In Ukraine it costs 17 thousand per ton, and in Germany – 14 thousand – says an expert of the project Dmytro Skrylnikov.
“In order to avoid any doubts whether the pesticides were really taken for utilization to Germany instead of just being taken to another oblast, the project partners and among them representatives of the Administration of environment protection, Environmental inspection in Lviv oblast and International public interest law organization “Environment-People-Law” escorted the trucks to the border in order to make sure that the pesticides left the territory of Ukraine” – says Mr. Skrylnikov.
Nataliya HORBAN’, “Ratusha” newspaper.