Forum information
What is the International HCH & Pesticides Forum?
The International HCH and Pesticides Forum is a technical forum, open for discussions and interactions among the pesticides manufacturing industry, international, national and regional authorities, NGOs, Research and Development Institutes, contractors, consultants and other knowledgeable and interested parties. The aim of the Forum is to find technical solutions to the problems arising from the (former) production and application of pesticides.
Background:
Almost 20 years later, the international meeting of experts on issues related to obsolete pesticides meet again in Spain. In its 13th edition, the International HCH and Pesticides Forum will address the issue of lindane and the consequences of mismanagement have had on the Spanish territory.
This Forum is undertaken under the framework of the LIFE + Environment Programme, in which the European Commission has awarded the project "Lab to field, soil remediation demonstrative project: new ISCO application to environmental Multicomponent DNAPL problem" (DISCOVERED LIFE) under implementation in Sabiñánigo, Spain.
From the 3rd to the 6th of November 2015, Zaragoza will be the meeting place for hundreds of researchers, experts, environmentalists and representatives from countries affected by mismanagement of pesticides and POPs, among others groups, who will give evidence of progress in research to reduce and eliminate pollution, caused by the lindane production and the related HCH wastes being dumped everywhere and more precisely in the Bailin bedrock near the Pyrenees.
A critical reflection on the past and present situation of consequences of pesticides production and management in Spain will allow the evaluation of different solutions to specific problems and build bridges between the wide range of actors and affected countries. The purpose of this meeting will facilitate the exchange of related problems arising from the manufacture of pesticides and promote international cooperation in finding solutions experiences and enable transfer of practical solutions.
Objectives:
The Forum objectives are:
- To review of past and ongoing activities in the field of obsolete pesticides problems in Spain, Central European and EECCA Countries, Africa, Asia and South America.
- What has been realized from the 12th Forum recommendations for concrete actions in the EECCA region?
- To discuss the national and regional strategies, action plans and financial resources for elimination of the obsolete pesticides – from discussion to action.
- To review and exchange technologies and experiences for inventory, risk assessment, environmental impact assessment of central stores, environmentally sound management, storage and destruction of obsolete pesticides and contaminated soils.
- Awareness raising of the obsolete pesticides problems globally, regionally, nationally, locally.
- Show successful regional and national initiatives, engagement of NGOs and academic institutions.
- To make status of the national legislation over the last decade and the environmental responsibility issues and assess if these developments can be used as example for other countries in the region and elsewhere.
Approach:
Advances for the solution of the problem caused by pesticides will only succeed if it is approached from a joint perspective in which technical, political, economic and social entities collaborate establishing cooperation for mutual benefit.
The aim of the forum is to provide support to achieve political commitments which go to the European regional sphere, facilitating knowledge transfer, resource optimization and utilization of available technologies, all with the aim of achieving specific goals.
The preliminary programme of the 13th Forum includes three days discussions and one day field trip on November, the 6th.
Topics:
Special workshops in this preliminary version are the following Topics and workshops proposed:
1.-THE SPANISH EXPERIENCES: The lindane production in Spain and lessons learned
Chairs: Joaquín Guadaño & Regina Rodriguez & Juan José Mestre
- Historical development
- ISCO development and first results
- Strategy and results of Landfill development for HCH-Waste
- Spanish cases: Galicia, Basque Country
2.-RESULTS EU-FAO FINANCED PROJECT: “Improving capacities to eliminate and prevent recurrence of obsolete pesticides as for tackling unused hazardous chemicals in the EECCA region”.
The road map to establishing Environmental Sound Management (ESM) of POPs pesticides and other hazardous waste in the EECCA Region
Chairs: Bram de Borst, John Vijgen and Richard Thompson
- Results and summaries for the region
- National Country Reports
3.-COUNTERFEIT PESTICIDES AND EMPTY CONTAINERS
Chairs: Mikhail Malkov and Rob Denny
- Empty containers
- System approach to counteracting to fake chemicals trade
- Public awareness as a significant part of counteracting to fake pesticides trade
- Structural changes of customs services for transparency and accountability;
- Training customs agents in high probability detection of counterfeit pesticides;
- Training customs agents in sampling, chain of custody, case preparation for import management;
- The use of state oversight of container management programmes for removal of excess containers that could be used for refilling with counterfeits and detection of sources of counterfeits.
4.-HEALTH & SAFETY BLOCK
Chairs: Margret Schlumpf, Walter Lichtensteiger & Ana Ferrer Dufol
- Health and safety during works
- Toxicology
- Environmental control
- Risks and exposure
5.-NEW POPs AND DIOXINS
Chairs: Roland Weber & Mihaela Paun
- Developments and experiences in the field of New POPs and Dioxins
6.-WASTE AND SOIL TECHNOLOGIES BLOCK
Chairs: Nick Morgan & Angels Castellnou
- Waste Management experiences
- Destruction technologies
- In-Situ remediation technologies
- Cement kiln as part of Waste & Resource Management Infrastructure
- Hazardous waste co-processing
- PCB disposal by cement kiln co-processing
- Pesticide disposal by cement kiln co-processing
- MSW solution in Metropool in Emerging Economies
- Experiences of treatment of New POPs industrial chemicals like fluorinated and brominated components
- Experiences of treatment of asbestos
7.-PCB MANAGEMENT
Chairs: Dirk-Jan Hoogendoorn & Ed Verhamme
- PCB Management experiences
- Destruction Technologies
- New Technologies
- Logistics with PCB’s & PCB equipment
8.-SPECIAL COUNTRY SESSION ON TAJIKISTIAN: STATUS – PROBLEMS – ACTION PLANS, KNOW HOW AND TECHNOLOGY NEEDS
Chairs: Maurice Jutz & Khayrullo Ibodzoda & Wouter Pronk
- History of obsolete pesticides sites in Tajikistan
- Exposure and risks for the population in the past, present and future
- National and international projects for inventarisation and sanitation
- Planning the future, the costs of non-action, Plans for Tajikistan
- Sustainable agriculture in Tajikistan
9.-ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY BLOCK
Chair: Ludwig Krämer
- Costs and liability questions concerning lindane from remarkable cases in Europe
10.-SOIL BIOREMEDIATION
Chair: Rocio Millán Gómez
- Implementation of measures
- Elimination of barriers of by administrators
- New developments
11.-LANDFILLS IN EECCA COUNTRIES: TRANSFER OF EXPERIENCES FROM BAILIN ARAGON
Chairs: Boudewijn Fokke & Marten van der Wijk & Pedro de Miguel Sánchez
- Developments on investigations, plans and clean-up of pesticides landfills
12.-EDUCATION AND AWARENESS RAISING PROGRESS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
Chairs: Wouter Pronk Sandra Molenkamp & Vladimir Shevtsov
13.-GEF-UNEP-WHO PROJECT “DEMONSTRATING AND SCALING-UP OF SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVES TO DDT IN VECTOR MANAGEMENT GLOBAL PROGRAMME”
Chairs: Stephan Robinson & Mijke Hertoghs
14.-CASES STUDIES BLOCK
Chair: Jesús Fernández Cascán
- Practical issues
- Issues proposed: Flix case
15.-PROSPECTS FOR THE 14TH FORUM WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF EXPO 2017 IN ASTANA
Chair: Representative of the Ministry of Energy & National coordinator for 14th Forum in Kazakhstan
- A brief statement and a formal announcement of the Vice Minister of Energy of the 14th Forum in Astana
- Presentation by the representative of the EXPO
- The relevance of the problems of obsolete pesticides in Kazakhstan