The elimination of the Slonim obsolete pesticides landfill

The Slonim obsolete pesticides landfill, located 10 km to the south-east of Slonim is one of the largest and most dangerous pesticide landfills in the country. The landfill was constructed from 1968 until 1974 when pesticides from the regions of Brest, Hrodno and Minsk were transported to the site and buried there.

According to the data provided by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture the total amount of pesticides located in the landfill is estimated at around 900 tons. DDT makes the biggest share in comparison with the other pesticides buried in the landfill. The total amount of DDT and its modifications reaches 447.2 tons, which is 72,1% of the total amount of all the pesticides found at the Slonim landfill., The following pesticides are stored at the landfill in quantities of 10 tons or more: Azotoks (10, 0 tons), 2, 4-dichlorophenylacetic acid (10, 4 tons), dicotex (13, 5 tons), (dicofol 27, 8 tons), sodium thiocyanate mixed salt (16, 3 tons), TMTD (Tetramethyl Thiuram Disulfide) (18, 8 tons) and sulfonate ether (14, 7 tons).

One of the main measures adopted by the international technical assistance project “Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Stockpile Management (Component C of Integrated Solid Waste Management Project)” is the elimination of the Slonim obsolete pesticide landfill.

The works took place at the Slonim obsolete pesticide landfill from May 2011 till October 2012 by the Republican Special Purpose Squad of the Ministry of Emergency Situations (State Fire Search and Rescue Establishment “National Special-Purpose Squad” of MES).

In 2011 950 tons of obsolete pesticides were extracted from the Slonim landfill, repacked and transported for disposal at a specialized plant in Germany by means of the Republican Special Purpose Squad of the Ministry of Emergency Situations (State Fire Search and Rescue Establishment “National Special-Purpose Squad” of MES).

In 2012 additional 995 tons of hazardous chemical waste products were extracted, repacked and prepared for transportation to the disposal facility by MES specialists. A major difference in the volume of extracted pesticides compared to their estimated quantity is due to the fact that the landfill had no technical arrangements that would prevent the pesticides from mixing with the ground. In almost 40 years of existence, the primary packaging of pesticides (packets, iron barrels) had deteriorated and during the extraction the pesticides had mixed in with the surrounding ground. As a result, not only the pesticides themselves but also the contaminated ground had to be packed and transported for disposal.

After the extraction and packaging of pesticides from the landfill control analysis and monitoring of the environment on the territory of the landfill was undertaken by the specialists of the Republican Unitary Enterprise  “Central Research Institute for Complex Use of Water Resources”, (soil analysis, ground water analysis), based on which the following measures for the restoration of the landfill territory had been adopted:

In case of contaminated ground being found (pesticide concentration above 50 mg/kg) the above-mentioned ground was to be packed in plastic barrels by MES specialists for transportation to the disposal facility. The bottom of the landfill was covered by the polyethylene film with thickness of more than 100 micron. The film was then covered by ground with low level of contamination (concentration of pesticides under 50 mg/kg) which, in turn, was covered with another layer of polyethylene film. Finally the territory of the landfill was covered by clean ground and soil where the forest is to be planted in the following season.

The work on the Slonim Obsolete Pesticides Landfill elimination was finished in October 2012. The elimination of all extracted pesticides is expected to be completed by July 1, 2012.

The total expenditure for the elimination of the Slonim landfill sums up to be over 4,5 million $, out of which 3 million was provided by the international technical assistance project and 1,5 million by the budget of the Republic of Belarus.

As a result of the elimination of pesticides extracted from the Slonim landfill, the quantity of obsolete pesticides in the republic was reduced by 25% (it went down from 7530 to 5660 tons).

The elimination of the Slonim Landfill of Obsolete pesticides became a major contribution to the actions taken by the government in order to rid the territory of our country of persistent organic pollutants and contributes significantly to the protection of health of the population and the protection of the environment from the impact of hazardous chemical waste products.

Information about Elimination of the Slonim Obsolete Pesticide Landfill in 2011- the first half of 2012