International Expert on Mercury Management Issues - Home based with mission to Kazakhstan (5 days)

The project objective is to reduce the releases of unintentionally produced persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and other globally harmful pollutants into the environment by promoting sound healthcare waste management in Kazakhstan; and to assist the country in implementing its relevant obligations under the Stockholm Convention.

To protect human health and environment from toxic and hazardous chemical and dangerous wastes listed as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) the Stolckholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants was adopted in May 2001. Kazakhstan ratified the Stolckholm Convention on November 9, 2007.

In line with Article 7 of the Convention the countries-parties to the Convention had to develop the National Implementation Plan (NIP) to demonstrate the implementation strategy of the obligations under the Stolckholm Convention. The first NIP was officially forwarded to the Stolckholm Convention Secretariat on December 8, 2009.

Legal control over management of chemical substances and wastes in Kazakhstan is based on Environmental Code, which is a regulatory-legal base necessary to set regulatory control over the follow-up implementation of the measures endorsed.
Legislation of Kazakhstan does not set emission standards for waste incineration or any other technical requirements for the given process. However, waste incinerator, as any other object of waste disposal, is to be assessed in terms of its environmental impact and has to obtain a permit for waste utilization before it sets to work. The given permit includes requirements on release of some pollutants, with the exception of uPOPs and heavy metals, with the follow up payment of relevant environmental duties.

Considerable environmental deterioration occurs due to mercury pollution. No work was done on current situation in the country and mercury releases assessment. One of the reasons is that current legislation sets no standards for mercury releases, even though it regulates mercury produced with wastes or when reprocessed. Based on the worldwide reports it is certainly known that the main mercury sources in Kazakhstan`s healthcare system are thermometers and direct and compact fluorescent light bulbs.

In October 2013 a new global convention on mercury named Minamata Convention was signed. The Convention presents general position of countries and their attitude towards mercury pollution issues as a serious threat to human health and environment. Kazakhstan as an active party to international environmental agreements needs to undertake measures to upgrade regulation of mercury pollution. Above all this should start with building capacities for stakeholders in treating mercury containing products and wastes.

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