Country situation report, Toxic Free Future public awareness raising campaign, and POPs disposal investigation.
This activity produced a country situation report on POPs in the Czech Republic, conducted an investigation of disposal of POPs-laden wastes in a mine, and instituted a public awareness-raising campaign on POPs. The comprehensive country situation report covers historical pesticide use, PCBs and dioxin releases. The report seeks to complete information missing in the National Implementation (NIP), point out possible shortcomings in Stockholm Convention implementation, and detail opinions of NGOs and representatives of self-government authorities. The report outlines the practice of dumping incineration fly ash and documents the presence of dioxins, furans, and PCBs in sediments on the premises of the Jan Sverma mine. Arnika requested the local authority to conduct measurements of dioxins, PBDEs and other substances in fish caught downstream of the mine discharge, and the report discusses the results. Finally, the public awareness-raising campaign used these two reports to accomplish five principal goals: to promote elimination of PCBs-containing waste; to support stricter rules for handling POPs wastes in the NIP; to highlight environmental risks connected with hospital waste incineration and promote alternatives; to support strict rules for handling so called new POPs such as PBDEs; and to promote materials substitution as one of the objectives according to Stockholm Convention requirements on POPs by-products continuing minimization.
Outputs:
Country situation report on POPs in the Czech Republic
Report on POPs in the Jan Sverma mine near Lampertice
Traveling exhibit about POPs
Petition activity
Press events and press releases