Huge city centre stockpile of banned DDT pesticide being removed after nearly four decades
| An international operation is finally underway in Chattogram to remove what is believed to be the world’s largest single stockpile of the banned pesticide DDT. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is assisting the Government of Bangladesh to carry out the complex operation. A team of specialists has begun to clear the site. The hazardous waste will then be shipped to Europe for safe incineration at a specialist facility in France. Removal of DDT – full name Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane – is highly technical and is bound by international laws, rules and regulations. Thirteen countries have given their permission for the waste to travel through their territory. Robert D. Simpson, FAO Representative in Bangladesh, said: “This is great news for Bangladesh and the people of Chattogram. FAO is overseeing the clean-up and safe disposal of this large stockpile of DDT which has posed a health and environmental hazard for too long. This toxic chemical has no place for use in modern agriculture or food processing.” The official launch of the DDT disposal operation, being overseen by FAO’s Pesticide Risk Reduction in Bangladesh project, took place today at the Medical Sub-Depot, Agrabad, Chattogram, where the DDT is being removed from. Chief guest was Mr. Md. Mostafa Kamal, Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The ministry’s Mr. Sanjay Kumar Bhowmik, Additional Secretary (Development), chaired the inauguration. Special guest was Mr. Md. Ashraf Uddin Divisional Commissioner, Chattogram. FAO Representative in Bangladesh, Mr. Robert D. Simpson, was guest of honour. Bangladesh imported 500 tonnes of DDT from Pakistan in 1985 which has been stored ever since at the Medical Sub-Depot, located in the city’s commercial hub Agrabad. The consignment was deemed non-compliant with the technical specification upon delivery and has remained at the same location in Bangladesh’s second largest city ever since. FAO consultant Mark Davis, an expert in obsolete pesticides, described the DDT cache as ‘highly unusual’. “This will be the largest amount of pesticide removed from a single location that I am aware of. It is also highly unusual in that the store is in the middle of an urban centre– most pesticide stores are in rural areas,” he said. He stressed that the operation will engage strict safety measures. “Although this large quantity of DDT is dangerous and located in a busy urban environment, our operation will apply all necessary measures to ensure that nobody is exposed to the chemical and none of it is spread in the environment as we proceed with the removal. The safety standards applied here are the same as those applies in Europe.” The consignment has exactly the same concentration of active ingredient today as it did when it was delivered. DDT is a persistent organic pollutant. This means that it persists in the environment (it does not break down), is bio-accumulative (it concentrates in organisms higher in the food chain (including humans), and is mobile (it moves in the environment, usually from hotter to cooler places). It is toxic to humans and other organisms. A specialist contractor will take about three to four months to remove the stockpile. Trained operators will shovel the DDT into high-specification chemical containers, under the supervision of FAO experts and government officials. Due to the city centre location, special precautions are being taken to ensure that the DDT does not create dust. The building will be sealed and may operate under negative air pressure to ensure that everything stays inside. No developing country, including Bangladesh, has suitable facilities for the treatment of hazardous waste such as DDT. The waste will be transported to France inside 42 secure shipping containers. FAO designed the operation based on extensive experience and expertise. The work will be undertaken through FAO’s Pesticide Risk Reduction in Bangladesh project, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and co-financed by the Government of Bangladesh and FAO. FAO will oversee and supervise the project with the aim of removing all obsolete pesticides from the country. FAO will train local counterparts to deal with hazardous waste and work with the Government of Bangladesh and other national stakeholders to build capacity for reducing risks from pesticides to health and the environment. |
| FAO Press release, Dhaka Feb. 26, 2022 |