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Pesticides Stockpiles Project

Government of Mozambique - Ministry of Environment

(Translated from the Portuguese)
 

The Mozambique Government has been implementing, with the aid of Denmark, a project about pesticides stockpiles. For this purpose, 900 tons of pesticides were collected  in the country and stored  in the old premises of   “Empresa Boror Comercial” at Matola. Other smaller amounts of 160 tons are still stored in the harbors of Nacala and Beira. The project envisioned three actions for the elimination of the pesticides.

        · Exports of identified pesticides to their countries of origin;
        · Storage for non exported pesticides contaminated with heavy metals in a landfield to be determined;
        · Incineration at Matola Cement kiln of the  pesticides stockpiles that can't be exported nor stored in the landfield; and
        · Recovery and  further utilization of pesticides with active ingredient valid.

To ensure that the process would not bring any problems to the public health as well as to the environment, detailed studies, including at the Matola Cement factory, were carried out. The studies concluded that the process would take four years for appropriate execution. The operation would be carried in a 8 hours shift (instead of 24 hrs) to ensure proper monitoring and the continuous presence of qualified technicians. Due to the high levels of chlorine content in the pesticides (roughly 45 tons) the maximum allowed  incineration rate in the kiln is 8 kg per hour. The kiln tolerance for heavy metal contents such as sodium,  potassium as well as sulfur and phosphorus is also limited.

On the other hand, the cement factory does not ensure that after the incineration of the pesticides stockpiles, it would incinerate other hazardous wastes generated in the country. This situation makes the project economically not viable. The project was originally designed to handle all hazardous waste generated in the country, including incineration capacity.  The high investment in the kiln and in the filter system of the factory for only one operation makes this project not viable.

Based on these facts, the Mozambique Government decided:

1. To export these pesticide stockpiles to eligible countries within Basel Convention and Bamako Convention  including the the amount to be incinerated at the Matola Cement kiln. To do so, the Mozambique Government will continue to urgently seek interested parties to receive the waste.

2. Continue the process of construction of a landfield to store the pesticides stockpiles non exportables as well as other hazardous wastes generated by national industry as well as residential wastes.

3. Continue searching for better options for the treatment of the waste generated in the country, like recycling, recovery and reuse, as well as studying new ways of treatment of other wastes that cannot be handled by these options.

Guiding the Mozambique Government actions, the following will be taken into consideration:

· Prevent the stock formation of hazardous substances, including pesticides stockpiles and hospital waste;
· Ensure an environmental sound management of hazardous waste generated in the country; and
· Observe the national law and international conventions that apply.

   
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