Project Reports

Following two separate pollution incidents by the Cleanway Technology Corporation in 2009, Cavite Green Coalition community organizers staged a series of activities to create awareness in the community and push for a closing down of the plant. This included an initial chemical safety seminar in the community that spurred a letter writing campaign to local government agencies and key officials. Mass mobilizations and picket lines outside the company followed this action and were successful in temporarily closing the plant.

Association d'Education Environnementale et de Protection des Oiseaux au Maroc (SEEPOM) led an awareness-raising campaign about the domestic sources of mercury and the hazards they pose to human and environmental health. The campaign used several techniques to accomplish their objectives, including focused press releases and television interviews, development of informational brochures that detail health impacts of mercury, and intensive reach out and networking with other NGOs and influential governmental officials.

The EDEN Center conducted a ground-breaking assessment of the area around an abandoned battery plant to test for lead contamination. After a series of stakeholder meetings and workshops, residents of Uznova (Municipality of Berat) agreed to answer questions about lead exposure and give blood samples for testing. Air, soil, and water were also tested. A report with the findings of the assessment (and recommendations) was delivered to government agencies, shared with the community, and distributed through the media.

Environmental Protection & Sustainable Development (EPSDS) orchestrated a workshop with the Akram Red Crescent Medical Center and the Syrian Red Crescent to discuss the future management of mercury-containing equipment and to decide on a policy for providing mercury-free healthcare equipment and materials.

The districts located in the Syrdaryinskaya oblast contain numerous obsolete pesticide burial sites. Although officials maintain the safety of these burial sites, ARMON's independent assessment showed that these sites are leaking pesticides into the air and ground water, are not properly safeguarded against the theft of pesticides, and appear to be a major cause of adverse health impacts in the surrounding communities. In addition, ARMON identified several burial sites not accounted for by official government records, also leaking pesticides.

Ecological Restorations organized several activities to promote awareness about existing sources of mercury pollution and advocate for policy changes to protect human and environmental health. Policy makers, artisanal gold miners, journalists, researchers and members of the community all were targeted with various types of educational media. Additionally, Ecological Restorations held a workshop in which officials from the Ghananian EPA were invited to discuss future policy changes.

The Chapaevsk Medical Association tested 21 food samples from three Russian cities for levels of BPA, determining that 81% of the samples were contaminated. Canned infant food was found to have some of the highest levels of contamination. Results were shared at several seminars and workshops with physicians, chemists, government officials, industry leaders, and other NGOs.

In an effort to improve participation and collaboration among organizations and individuals concerning the SAICM Global Plan of Action, Associação de Proteção ao Meio Ambiente de Cianorte (APROMAC) pushed an explicit chemical implementation agenda at three consecutive meetings of Brazil's National Committee on Chemical Safety (CONSAQ). Additionally, they created a special webpage on their website focused solely on SAICM, which also provides monthly bulletins on SAICM issues.

In order to promote SAICM’s provisions of green growth and sustainable development, the Kazakh NGO Greenwomen (in colloboration with Eco-Accord) organized several sessions, made key presentations, and actively participated and led discussion group forums at the Sixth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Development in Asia and the Pacific (MCED-6). Specifically, their presentations centered on describing their experiences on what actions NGOs should be practicing to address the SAICM provisions.