Environmentally Sound Management and Disposal of Obsolete POPs Pesticides and Other POPs Wastes

The project will enable environmentally sound management and disposal of targeted obsolete POPs pesticides and associated wastes in fulfillment of China’s commitments under the Stockholm Convention. The presence of geographically dispersed stockpiles of obsolete POPs pesticide waste and PCDD/PCDF rich incinerator fly ash presents an ongoing pathway risk to environmental receptors, especially groundwater and surface water resources. The scale of this risk and its global consequences make it a uniquely Chinese issue with significant transboundary impact. In accordance with the Stockholm Convention and Basel Convention guidelines, the project will directly provide treatment of a minimum of 10,000 tonnes of identified targeted POPs pesticide wastes and 1,000 tonnes of PCDD/PCDF rich fly ash. The project will also introduce regulatory reforms and strengthen national capacity to identify, assess, manage, and treat other such wastes in an environmentally sustainable manner by use of new analytical and organizational techniques such as qualitative environmental risk assessment and public-private partnerships.