African Stockpiles – Agricultural Waste

Dr Mandla ButheleziNational African Farmers Union

Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Environment and Tourism,

21 November 2007 2

Who am I?

• National Vice President of the National African Farmers Union of South Africa.

• President of NAFU – KZN.

• PhD in Literature and Community Development.

• Working in the farming fraternity since birth.

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21 November 2007 4

Some issues today!

• What are the problems on the ground?

• Need special mention of agricultural chemicals / waste in the Waste Management Bill.

• Need to ensure that incineration is not the process to deal with the ASP waste both past and future waste.

• Return to sender or producer.

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What are the problems on the ground?• Farmers are sitting with stockpiles on their

properties and in their houses.• Affecting rural communities for the containers

are used for water containers.• Waste and containers are dumped often illegally

– Mooi River, KZN, 2007.• Lack of awareness and education on the

dangers of the pesticides.• Soil and water contamination.• Good research by Dr Mohamed Aqiel Dalvie and

Dr Leslie London (1995 and 2003)

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Disposal

• Safeguarding– Centralisation – Repackaging

• Disposal– Overseas shipment (Basel

etc)– Final destruction in Europe – Issue of incineration vs non-

incineration

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Figure 1: Pesticide storage

• Pesticides in direct contact with the floor and pesticide spills are visible.

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Figure 2: Pesticide storage

• Pesticides stored outside and easy access is allowed (bad storage)

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Figure 3: Pesticide storage

• Good enclosed pesticide storage room with locked secured door. However there are empty containers outside

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Figure 4: Pesticide storage

• Condition of pesticide holders are damaged, rusted and unclosed.

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Results of 2003 Stellenbosch study

• 8% of farms with unwanted pesticides in 1995 still had these pesticides on site.

• 69% of these farms with unwanted pesticides in 1995 had accumulated further stocks of obsolete pesticides since 1995, despite the retrieval project.

• 75% of farms that had no obsolete pesticides in 1995 reported obsolete pesticides in 2003

• 50% of farms which were not participants in 1995 reported obsolete pesticides in 2003.

• In total, the quantity of obsolete pesticides had grown from 6.4 tonnes to 9.7 tonnes.

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Safety and hygiene of the pesticide stores surveyed, Stellenbosch, 2003• Number of farms stores surveyed = 68.

• Store unlocked = 4%.

• Broken window = 1%.

• Contaminated floor = 67%.

• Pesticides packed disorderly = 40%.

• Unwanted pesticides mixed with those used = 24%.

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South African Pesticide Network

• As early as 2005 the ASP has specifically rejected the possibility of constructing disposal facilities within Africa and has also committed to actively encouraging alternatives to incineration.

• BUT – there is an ongoing push to use cement kilns to burn ASP.

• The African (including South Africa) cement industry does not have appropriate proven expertise to ensure:– effective and appropriate storage, handling and processing of

obsolete stockpiles or hazardous waste in order to conform to best international standards, and

– ensure the safety of its workforce, the environment and public health is protected in handling hazardous waste.

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South African Pesticide Network

• Stockpiles should be shipped back to the country from which they were donated and disposed of there.

• Concern that the DEAT using consultants that are pushing the burning of waste in cement kilns, such Kare Karstensen who has worked with the World Business Council on Sustainable Development in their push burn waste in cement kilns.

• No to incineration of ASP waste in cement kilns.• Agricultural chemical / waste must be mentioned

specifically in the Waste Management Bill