EXPERT: 500 TONS OF HARSH CHEMICALS BURIED AT NUBARASHEN LANDFILL IN ARMENIA
YEREVAN, November 7. /ARKA/. About 500tons of harsh chemicals are
buried in Nubarashen lanfill in Armenia, head of hazardous waste
department of Armenian Ministry of Environment Anahit Alexandryan
told journalists at a meeting on monitoring and analysis of expired
waste under NATO's "Science for Peace" program.
The project was implemented in line with Armenia-NATO Individual
Partnership Action Plan for 2009-2011.
"Under the project we have mainly studied organochlorines. About
500tons of harsh chemicals have been stored at Nubarashen burial site
so far," she said. Of them, 250 tons are persistent toxic chemicals
like DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) and hexachlorocyclohexane.
The expert said that a 214,000 euros worth laboratory was built under
the program. The laboratory has modern equipment, a gas chromatograph
and a mass-spectrometer in particular.
In addition, Brazilian Government presented some 17 devices to the
laboratory. Support was provided also by UN Industrial Development
Organization (UNIDO).
Apart from procurement of equipment, NATO funded training courses
for young specialists, Alexandryan said, according to Novosti-Armenia.
Persistent toxic chemicals were studied in line with Stockholm
Convention both at Nubarashen burial site and in warehouses of former
pesticide shops. Chlorine-containing compounds and polychlorinated
biphenyl used as dielectric in transformers were studied in particular,
the expert said.
Alexandryan informed that the current program covered only studies,
whereas the utilization project will be implemented together with UNDP.
Armenian Minister of Environment Aram Harutiunyan, in his turn, said
that the cooperation under "Science for Peace" program will continue.
"The Ministry intends to submit a new proposal on environmentally
regulated waste storages to prevent emission of dioxins and phuranes,
which is envisaged by Armenia-NATO Individual Partnership Action Plan
for 2011-2013," the Minister said. -0--
From: Baghdasarian
YEREVAN, November 7. /ARKA/. About 500tons of harsh chemicals are
buried in Nubarashen lanfill in Armenia, head of hazardous waste
department of Armenian Ministry of Environment Anahit Alexandryan
told journalists at a meeting on monitoring and analysis of expired
waste under NATO's "Science for Peace" program.
The project was implemented in line with Armenia-NATO Individual
Partnership Action Plan for 2009-2011.
"Under the project we have mainly studied organochlorines. About
500tons of harsh chemicals have been stored at Nubarashen burial site
so far," she said. Of them, 250 tons are persistent toxic chemicals
like DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) and hexachlorocyclohexane.
The expert said that a 214,000 euros worth laboratory was built under
the program. The laboratory has modern equipment, a gas chromatograph
and a mass-spectrometer in particular.
In addition, Brazilian Government presented some 17 devices to the
laboratory. Support was provided also by UN Industrial Development
Organization (UNIDO).
Apart from procurement of equipment, NATO funded training courses
for young specialists, Alexandryan said, according to Novosti-Armenia.
Persistent toxic chemicals were studied in line with Stockholm
Convention both at Nubarashen burial site and in warehouses of former
pesticide shops. Chlorine-containing compounds and polychlorinated
biphenyl used as dielectric in transformers were studied in particular,
the expert said.
Alexandryan informed that the current program covered only studies,
whereas the utilization project will be implemented together with UNDP.
Armenian Minister of Environment Aram Harutiunyan, in his turn, said
that the cooperation under "Science for Peace" program will continue.
"The Ministry intends to submit a new proposal on environmentally
regulated waste storages to prevent emission of dioxins and phuranes,
which is envisaged by Armenia-NATO Individual Partnership Action Plan
for 2011-2013," the Minister said. -0--
From: Baghdasarian