Press conference on implementation of GEF-UNIDO Project held in Minsk
On May 14, 2021, a press conference was held in Minsk with the topic “National potential for hazardous waste management. Implementation of the international technical assistance project, Coordinated Management of ODS and POPs Disposal in Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Armenia (regional demonstration project).”
Head of the General Directorate for Regulation of Waste Management, Biological and Landscape Diversity of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Protection Olga Sazonova talked about Belorussian commitments on the environmentally safe management of persistent organic pollutants (POP) and revealed the size of national stockpiles: 10 thousand tons of unusable pesticides and approximately 37 thousand capacitors and 370 transformers containing PCBs. All PCB-containing equipment is planned for decommissioning by 2025.
Head of international technical assistance project, GEF-6 Belarus POPs Legacy and Sustainable Chemicals Management, Denis Kovalenko spoke about activities of the project which include support for safe disposal of PCB-containing equipment, environmentally safe decontamination of unusable pesticides, and drafting of relevant laws and regulations.
Project coordinator for the Project on Coordinated Management of ODS and POPs Disposal in Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Armenia Andrey Pinigin reported that installation works at the first hazardous waste destruction plant to be launched through the project will be completed in the first half of 2021. The USD-2.5-million plant is located in the Chachersk district of the Gomel oblast and is expected to destruct annually up to 1,600 tons of waste. Works are carried out under the control of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).