Part 3. Assessment of the POPs Issue in the Republic of Armenia

133 Pages·2017·2.02 MB·English

REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA

Updated National Implementation Plan
for the Stockholm Convention
on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

Yerevan 2017
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GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA

PROTOCOL DECISION

No. 49
December 8, 2016

“On Approval of the List of Activities to be implemented in
2016-2020 within the National Program for Implementation of
the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants in
the Republic of Armenia"

PRIME MINISTER
OF THE REPUBLIC OF Karen Karapetyan
ARMENIA

December 27, 2016
Yerevan

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

pages
ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS 5
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 8
Part 1. COUNTRY BASELINE 13
1.1 Country Profile 13
1.1.1 Geography and Population 13
1.1.2 Political and Economic Overview 14
1.1.3 Characteristics of the Economy Branches 16
Part 2. INSTITUTIONAL, POLICY AND REGULATORY 25
FRAMEWORK
2.1 Environmental policy, sustainable development policy and 25
general legislative framework
2.2 International Commitments and Obligations 27

2.3 Description of existing legislation and regulations addressing 31
POPs (manufactured chemicals and unintentionally produced
POPs)
2.4 Legislative Documents Relevant to Stockholm Convention 34
2.5 Competences of State Bodies in Chemicals and Waste 43
Management
2.5.1 Competences of the Government of the Republic of Armenia in 43
Chemicals and Wastes Management
2.5.2 Competences of Republic of Armenia Ministry of Nature 43
Protection in Chemicals and Wastes Management
2.5.3 Competences of Republic of Armenia Ministry of Nature 44
Protection in Chemicals and Wastes Management
2.5.4 Competences of Republic of Armenia Ministry of Emergency 45
Situations in chemicals and wastes management
2.5.5 Competences of Republic of Armenia Ministry of Transport, 45
Communications and Information Technologies in chemicals and
wastes management
2.5.6 Competences of Republic of Armenia Ministry of Agriculture in 45
chemicals and wastes management
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2.5.7 Competences of local self-government bodies in chemicals and
wastes management
2.5.8 Competences of regional government bodies in chemicals and 46
wastes management
Part 3. ASSESSMENT OF THE POPS ISSUE IN THE 47
REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
3.1 Assessment of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) pesticides,
including Endosulfan (Annex A, Part I chemicals): historical,
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current, and projected future production, use, import, and
export; existing policy and regulatory framework; summary of
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available monitoring data (environment, food, humans) and
health impacts
3.2 Assessment of PCBs (Annex A, Part II chemicals) 52
3.2.1 PCB Monitoring 57
3.3 Assessment of POP-PBDEs (Annex A, Part IV and Part V 58
chemicals) and HBB (Annex A, Part I chemicals)
3.3.1 Assessment of PBDEs in CRT TV and computer monitors 59
60
3.4 Assessment with respect to Annex B chemicals (DDT)
3.5 Assessment of PFOS, its salts and PFOSF (Annex B, Part III 61
chemicals)
3.6 Assessment of releases from unintentional production of Annex 68
C chemicals (PCDD/PCDF, HCB, PCBs and PeCB)
3.7 Information on the state of knowledge on POPs stockpiles, 77
contaminated sites and wastes, identification, likely numbers,
relevant regulations, guidances, remediation measures, and
data on releases from sites
3.7.1 POPs pesticides 77
3.7.2 Detailed information on obsolete pesticide stocks 82
3.7.3 Potential Pesticides Contaminated Sites 84
3.7.4 Potential PCB Contaminated Sites 85
3.7.5 Priority contaminated site: Nubarashen obsolete pesticides burial 86
site
3.7.6 Summary of future production, use and releases of POPs – 89
requirements for exemptions
3.7.7 Existing programmes for monitoring releases of POPs and 91
environmental and human health impacts
Part 4. STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN ELEMENTS ON 94
THE NATIONAL IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

4.1 Policy Statement 94
4.2 Implementation strategy 95
4.2.1 Overview 95
4.2.2 NIP Implementation Objectives 95
4.2.3 General outcomes of the NIP Implementation 96
4.2.4 Implementation Principles 96
4.2.5 Priorities and Conditionality 97
4.2.6 Institutional/Organizational Arrangements and Responsibility 98
LIST OF ANNEXES 99
Annex 1. National Programme of Activities to be Implemented under the
“National Implementation Plan for the Stockholm Convention on 100
Persistent Organic Pollutants in the Republic of Armenia, 2016-2020”
Annex 2. List of scientific papers published in proceedings of international
121
conferences, periodicals (2005-2014)
Annex 3. Mass-Media Coverage 126
References 128
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ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS
a Annual; annually
AMD Armenian Drams
BAT Best Available Techniques
BEP Best Environmental Practice
CIS Commonwealth of Independent States
DDD Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane
DDE Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene
DDT Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(4-
chlorophenyl)ethane)
EDU Ministry of Education and Science, RoA
EEE Electrical and electronic equipment
GDP Gross Domestic Product
GEF Global Environment Facility
HCB Hexachlorobenzene
HCH Hexachlorocyclohexane
HPP Hydropower plant
MA, RoA Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Armenia
MAC Maximum allowable concentration
MEDI Ministry of Economic Development and Investments, RoA
MEINR, RoA Ministry of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources, RoA
MES, RoA Ministry of Emergency Situations, RoA
MH, RoA Ministry of Health of the Republic of Armenia
MNP, RoA Ministry of Nature Protection of the Republic of Armenia
mln Million
MTAD Ministry of Territorial Administration and Development, RoA
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NAS National Academy of Science, RoA
NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization
NGO Non-governmental organization
NIP National Implementtaion Plan
OCP Organochlorine Pesticide
PBB Polybrominated biphenyls
PBDE Polybrominated diphenyl ethers
PCBs Polychlorinated biphenyls
Polychlorinated terphenyls
PCT
PeCB Pentachlorobenzene
PCDD/PCDF Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzo-furans
PFOS Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid
POPs Persistent Organic Pollutants
RoA Republic of Armenia
SRCG State Revenue Committee by the Government of RoA
SRPP State Regional Power Plant
TEQ Toxic equivalent
ths Thousand
UN United Nations
UNDP United Nations Development Programme
UNEP United Nations Environment Programme
UNIDO United Nations Industrial Development Organization
USSR Union of Soviet Socialistic Republics
WEEE Waste electrical and electronic equipment

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Units

g gram
kg kilogram
ha hectare
m meter
km kilometer
sq.km square kilometer
L Liter
mg milligram
mcg/kg microgram/kilogram
mcg/L microgram/Liter
mg/L milligram/Liter
ppm part per million

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are organic substances that possess toxic
properties, resist degradation (exhibit persistence) in the environment for a
long period of time; POPs are bioaccumulated and transported through air
across international boundaries and deposited far from the release site. They
represent a potential threat to the environment and human health; initiating
global actions is necessary to eliminate POPs production, placing on the
market, as well as to reduce their emissions to the environment.
The Republic of Armenia (RoA) signed the Stockholm Convention on
Persistent Organic Pollutants on the 23rd of May 2001 and ratified it on
October 22, 2003.
Armenia, as a Party to the Stockholm Convention, must fulfill obligations
relating to the implementation of the Convention. According to the decision of
the RoA Government “On implementation of the RoA obligations on
Stockholm Convention signed May 23, 2001” (No. 1483-N dated October 29,
2004) the Ministry of Nature Protection of RoA is competent (authorized)
national authority for the implementation of the country's obligations under the
Stockholm Convention.
In accordance with Article 7 of the Stockholm Convention “National
Implementation Plan for the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic
Pollutants” (2005-2010) was prepared. After the inclusion of new POPs in the
annexes to the POPs Convention a country must review and update the
National Implementation Plan taking into consideration management of new
POPs as well.
In this regard, by the order of the RoA Minister of Nature Protection “On
Establishment of Inter-ministerial/Inter-Agency Committee for Implementation
of Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, Personal
Membership and Working Order of the Committee” (No. 86-A dated April 22,
2015), the National Coordinating Committee (NCC) was established including
representatives of relevant concerned institutions, professional organizations,
the academic community (the scientists at large) and non-governmental
organizations, which have the task to update, change and complement the
“National Implementation Plan for Management of Persistent Organic
Pollutants (POPs) in the Republic of Armenia”.
This document is an updated version of the “National Plan for the management
of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the Republic of Armenia, 2016 –
2020”, which includes further measures and activities for the 12 initial POPs
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and future measures to be carried out regarding 10 new POPs listed in the
Annex to Stockholm Convention.
.The 12 initial POPs are: Aldrin, Dieldrin, DDT, Endrin, Chlordane,
Heptachlor, Hexachlorobenzene (HCB), Mirex, Polychlorinated biphenyls
(PCBs), Toxaphene, Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans
(PCDD/PCDF).
The 10 new POPs are: Alpha and Beta hexachlorocyclohexane (alpha-HCH
and beta-HCH), Chlordecone, Hexabromobiphenyl, Hexa- and
Heptabromodiphenyl ether (hexaBDE and heptaBDE), Lindane (Gamma-
HCH), Pentachlorobenzene (PeCB), Endosulfan, Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid
(PFOS) and its derivatives, Tetra- and Pentabromodiphenyl ether (TetraBDE
and PentaBDE).
The updated plan was drawn up in a period from January 2013 to 2015 and
approved by the Protocol Decision of the RoA Government "On Approval of
the List of Activities to be implemented in 2016-2020 within the National
Program for Implementation of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent
Organic Pollutants in the Republic of Armenia" (No. 49 of December 8, 2016).
The strategic task of the updated plan is to reduce the risk towards human
health and the environment due to the harmful effects of POPs, and its main
objective is to improve POPs management, which will be achieved through
realization of a number of practical tasks.
The “Updated National Implementation Plan for the Stockholm Convention on
Persistent Organic pollutants (POPs)” consists of an Executive Summary, four
main parts, and three annexes.
Part 1 “Country Baseline” provides general information about the country:
geography, territory, topography, climate and natural resources, population
according to the last census in 2011, the political system, as well as the
administrative and territorial division.
The economic profile was updated by sectors and main economic indicators.
Part 2 “Institutional, Policy, and Regulatory Framework” describes in
detail the policy on environmental protection and sustainable development,
signed and ratified international conventions. This Part also provides an
overview of the current national legislation on POPs management, legislative
documents relevant to Stockholm Convention, Competences of State Bodies in
Chemicals and Waste Management, other mechanisms and voluntary
initiatives, administrative fines and sanctions related to 10 new POPs.
Part 3 “Assessment of the POPs issues in the Republic of Armenia”
includes a detailed assessment of the 12 initial POPs and 10 new POPs –
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