6.5 tons of Useless Pesticides are Stored in our City
Experts say that they are safely sealed and will not leak into soil or
water. Whether this is true or not, Molodyy Bukovynets checked.
Sign on the Gate: “Careful, Poisonous Chemicals”
Behind this fence, there are four cement containers of pesticides.
Lyudmyla Osadchuk
Only a 20 minute ride from the city center, on Komunalnykiv Street, on the
territory of the municipal enterprise “Nature and Anti-erosion Protection Trust
(Zelentrest)” there is stored 6.5 tons of useless pesticides. They have been kept
here for more than 4 years. However, it is impossible to take it away from here.
The reason is predictable – no money for it. The authorities state that the pesticides
are safely sealed and there is no danger of them leaking into the soil or water. We
decided to visit the place where the pesticides and agricultural chemicals are
stored, in order to find out if they are really kept in an appropriate way.
The containers with pesticides are located on the territory of “Zelentrest,” behind
the garage. In order to get to them, one must go through high weeds, which proves
that people have not been here for a long time.
The container lid alone weighs 1.5 tons
“Nobody walks here, this is true,” says a Zelentrest worker, Olha Kornivska.
“However, there is a path from the other side – a couple of weeks ago, inspectors
from the ecological department visited us and cleared that way out. It seemed that
they intended to allocate some money for chemical preservation, but when they
examined the containers they concluded that they are stored safely. Four years ago,
when they were moved, a group of emergency situation troops were used and
special technical support was ordered from Kyiv.”
In a couple of minutes, we are reaching the fence made of rusty wire. The gate also
has a rusty sign, “Careful, poisonous chemicals.” Behind the fence – four big
cement containers. Unlike the other chemical storage facilities in the various
villages that we have visited, this one does not have any bad smells.
“There are a couple of types of pesticides,” says Olha Kornivska. “Since the
chemicals have been stored here since the 70s, most of their dangerous qualities
have been lost already. These are the leftovers from Dubynskoyi Street, where
there used to be a greenhouse complex. The pesticides are packed in plastic bags
and then in the containers.
6.5 tons of useless pesticides are stored in our city. See page 3.
[Ecology]
6.5 tons of useless pesticides are stored in our city
(Continued from page 1)
For their storage, special cement containers that have very thick walls were ordered
from Kyiv. They are tarred inside so there are no holes and no danger that the
chemicals will leak into the soil or water.
A regular person cannot get to the pesticides since the containers are covered with
1.5 ton lids that are tarred in place. Each year after winter, we tar the lids again. In
this way, the chemicals can be kept for a long time, even though of course it would
be better to dispose of them.
The disposal will cost 80,000 hrn
“The pesticides are hermetically sealed,” says deputy head of the city municipal
enterprise “Nature and Anti-erosion Protection Trust (Zelentrest)” Vasyl
Koshman. “But they still need to be disposed. We were promised that the
pesticides will be taken to Sumy region for disposal, but it is unclear when it will
actually happen. In order to take out and dispose of the poison chemicals from
Chernivtsi alone, it will cost 70,000-80,000 hrn. As of right now, nobody can
provide such funds.
The ecological inspection that visited Zelentrest a couple of weeks ago could not
say anything about the removal and disposal of the chemicals so nobody knows
when Chernivtsi will get rid of its pesticides.
COMMENTARY
Volodymyr Hunchak,
Head of the State Center of Plant Protection in Chernivtsi Region.
“The useless pesticides and other agricultural chemicals can be stored in metal
cement containers for 50-100 years. However, when they will be carrying the
pesticides away from Bukovyna, I guess they will also take them from Chernivtsi.”
To the Topic
In the department of ecology and natural resources in Chernivtsi region, it was
stated that in order to take away the pesticides and dispose of them in Shostka,
Sumy region, it will cost 240-260 ths hrn. As of right now, there is no such money.
But soon the Ministry of Ecology will conduct negotiations with German experts,
who are disposing pesticides in Zakarpattya. Our ecologists intend to ask them to
include Chernivtsi region in the project as well. Maybe in this way, we can get rid
of the poisonous chemicals.
This publication is done with the support of the Danish Association of
Investigative Journalists (FUJ) and the Investigative Journalism Project in
Ukraine (SCOOP).