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2007.txt
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The World’s Worst
Polluted Places
The Top Ten
of
The Dirty Thirty
A Project of the Blacksmith Institute
September 2007
THE WORLD’S WORST POLLUTED PLACES
The Top Ten
(of The Dirty Thirty)
Blacksmith Institute
New York
September 2007
Blacksmith Institute
www.blacksmithinstitute.org
1
This document was prepared by the staff of Blacksmith Institute with input and
review from a number of experts and volunteers, to whom we are most grateful.
Special thanks to:
The full cast of the Technical Advisory Board (see Annex for details)
Meredith Block
David Hanrahan
Aadika Singh
Jennifer Spiegler, and
Richard Fuller
For questions, comments and feedback, please contact Blacksmith Institute in New
York City at the following address:
Blacksmith Institute
2014 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10035
(646) 742 0200
info@blacksmithinstitute.org
Media enquires should be directed to Meredith Block block@blacksmithinstitute.org
in New York or David Hanrahan dhanrahan@blacksmithinstitute.org in London.
This report is available online at www.blacksmithinstitute.org
Appendices
About Blacksmith Institute
Technical Advisory Board Members,
Site Selection Criteria – Revised for 2007 Review
Blacksmith Institute
www.blacksmithinstitute.org
2
The Pollution Challenge Remains Unfinished
In 2006, Blacksmith Institute launched the first assessment of the extent of toxic
pollution in the developing world. This was published as The World’s Worst Polluted
Places: The Top Ten. Blacksmith Institute now presents its second annual review of
the most polluted places in the world – sites where human health is severely
affected.
The initial report pointed out that decades of effort and attention have reduced
industrial pollution to no more than an occasional worry for most of the developed
world. However, this is certainly not the case in the poorest countries where
pollution continues to be a major cause of death, illness, and long-term
environmental damage. In these parts of the world, pollution shortens lives,
damages children’s development and growth, causes chronic illnesses, and kills
thousands of people indiscriminately. All this makes strong, sustainable economic
development very difficult.
Pollution in developing countries is often hidden away from the casual visitor. In
most countries the major polluting industries are concentrated in special estates or
industrial cities, usually well away from the capitals. Mining and metals processing
are frequently located where the ore deposits are found, often in remote and
mountainous areas. In these places people are faced with ongoing soil, air and
water contamination from antiquated enterprises and the legacy of decades of
uncontrolled emissions. These are locations where soils and groundwater have
been poisoned, where rivers are saturated with toxins, and radioactive lakes cannot
be approached safely, let alone be used for irrigation or drinking. In some towns, life
expectancy approaches medieval rates and birth defects are the norm, not the
exception. In others, children’s asthma rates are measured above 90 percent and
mental retardation is endemic. In such places, life expectancy may be half that of
the richest nations and these shortened, debilitated lives are miserable.
The developed world may find it scarcely credible that such medieval conditions
continue to exist, although it is perhaps only fifty years since parts of Europe and
North America were black and infernal. The levels of regulatory and management
controls that protect people in modern industrial societies are not yet reflected in
developing countries. Even if sub-standard or antiquated factories were brought to
modern expectations, the legacy of old contamination from the past would continue
to poison the local population. Inadequacies in formal controls are often
compounded by weaknesses in civil institutions and the inability to hold governments
accountable when they fail to take action.
The 2006 Top Ten Report summarised the present situation bluntly: “Living in a town
with serious pollution is like living under a death sentence. If the damage does not
come from immediate poisoning, then cancers, lung infections and mental
retardation are likely outcomes. Often insidious and unseen, and usually in places
Blacksmith Institute
www.blacksmithinstitute.org
3
with deficient and exhausted health systems, pollution is an unacknowledged burden
on the poor and marginalized in the developing world. It is a major factor impairing
economic growth, and a significant strain on the lives of already impoverished
people.” Efforts are being made and some successes have been seen but far too
many people still live under these debilitating circumstances.
The problems are major, but this does not mean that they are hopeless. There are
decades of experience in industrial nations in cleaning up the most toxic sites and as
well as a handful of successful projects that are being implemented in the
developing world. Blacksmith’s website lists a number of such “Success Stories”.
Solving these problems can also be extremely cost effective in terms of health
impact. A recent review of the cost effectiveness of a sampling of Blacksmith
interventions made estimates of the resulting health impacts and the cost-benefits,
using established epidemiological data and methodologies. The estimated benefits
compare favourably to World Bank estimates of costs of lives saved on interventions
related to water supply, improved cooking stoves, and malaria controls. This
confirms that dealing with highly polluted sites is one of the most cost effective
methods to improving life expectancy in the developing world. (See full report at
http://www.blacksmithinstitute.org/docs/costEff1.pdf).
What Has Changed in a Year?
The worldwide publicity that followed the publication of the 2006 Top Ten succeeded
in reaching politicians, industrialists and concerned citizens around the world. As a
result of the exposure and newly invigorated public pressure, governments and
polluters in several of the sites listed in the 2006 report have responded. Positive
actions have been taken to clean-up many of these pollution problems and protect
impacted communities. However, given the scale of the problems at the worst sites,
it is going to take time for measurable improvements in the health conditions of the
local populations to emerge.
A significant number of new sites were nominated from across the globe as potential
candidates for the 2007 Top Ten list. Every nomination received was added to
Blacksmith’s database and considered for the 2007 review. The methodology for
assessing the severity of polluted sites has also been refined to place more weight
on the scale and toxicity of the pollution and on the numbers of people at risk.
There have been some changes in the Top Ten as a consequence of these
adjustments but no major reshuffle. The details and implications of the changes are
discussed below, after the presentation of the selected sites.
Despite ongoing efforts to make the survey of the world’s most toxic places more
comprehensive, the list of nominated sites is still incomplete.
Blacksmith Institute
www.blacksmithinstitute.org
4
Blacksmith will continue to review sites as they are nominated, continually improving
and updating our yearly list until health in developing countries is no longer
threatened by toxic industrial pollution.
Updating the Top Ten and Introducing the Dirty Thirty
The Top Ten list was compiled again this year with heavy reliance on Blacksmith’s
Technical Advisory Board (TAB) of experts, with over 250 years of combined
experience in this field. The TAB includes specialists from Johns Hopkins
University, Hunter College, Harvard University, IIT Delhi, University of Idaho, Mt.
Sinai Hospital, and leading international environmental engineering companies.
Blacksmith began the Top Ten review process by surveying the existing database of
polluted sites. Over the past seven years, Blacksmith has amassed a list of over
400 severely polluted locations from all regions of the world. The initial survey
narrowed these down to about seventy sites - all with severe human health risks, all
deserving the attention of the global community. In discussing feedback from last
year’s Top Ten, it became clear that the list needed to be more representative of the
different types and locations of polluted sites.
To achieve this while maintaining an objective process of selecting the Top Ten, the
initial seventy sites were presented as a matrix showing location and type. These
seventy were then reduced to thirty while maintaining, as far as possible, a full range
of diversity in the sites. These then became the “Dirty Thirty” which formed the basis
of the Top Ten selection. The full Dirty Thirty are presented on page 7, in the matrix
format.
The TAB used the revised methodical approach that places increased emphasis on
the toxicity and scale of the pollution sources and also on the numbers of people at
risk. This approach is presented in more detail in the Annexes. TAB members
individually prepared their evaluations of the thirty sites and then discussed them in
a conference. Based on the individual rankings and the consensus from the
conference, the worst of the larger group made the final Top Ten list.
It is not realistic or feasible to put these sites into a final rank order from one to ten,
given the wide range of location sizes, populations and pollution dynamics. This
report refrains from pointing a finger at any one place as being the worst on earth
and therefore this report lists polluted sites alphabetically, by country name.
One important caveat to be made is the relative weakness of the information on
which the selection process is based. More and better data would greatly improve
the assessment process but the reality is that good data is (at best) missing and (at
worst) hidden or distorted. Efforts continue to improve the knowledge and
understanding of the main sites. However, we must rely significantly on the
qualitative judgements and experience of the TAB in ranking the worst sites.
Blacksmith Institute
www.blacksmithinstitute.org
5
The Top Ten – Summary Table
(NOT RANKED - listed alphabetically by country)
Site Name
and
Location
Sumgayit,
Azerbaijan
Linfen, China
Major Pollutants and Sources
Organic chemicals and mercury, from
petrochemical and industrial complexes
Particulates and gases from industry and
traffic
Tianying,
China
Heavy metals and particulates; industry
Sukinda,
India
Hexavalent chromium; chromite mines
Vapi, India
La Oroya,
Peru
Dzerzhinsk,
Russia
Norilsk,
Russia
Chernobyl,
Ukraine
Kabwe,
Zambia
Removed from list
Lead and other heavy metals; mining and
metal processing
Chemicals and toxic byproducts, lead;
chemical weapons and industrial
manufacturing
Heavy metals, particulates; mining and
smelting
Radioactive materials; nuclear reactor
explosion
Lead; mining and smelting
Blacksmith Institute
www.blacksmithinstitute.org
Scope of the Problem and
Human Health Impact
Dated technologies, a lack of pollution
controls and improper disposal of
industrial waste have left the city
contaminated.
Expanding and unregulated industry
based on local coal and other resources
has resulted in the worst air quality in
China. There are high incidences of
respiratory and skin diseases and lung
cancer.
Cleanup Status
Various multilateral development
agencies, international banks and
governments have invested
moneys to do the clean-up.
The local government plans to
shut down more than 200
factories by the end of 2007 and
replace them with clean and
better regulated facilities.
Average lead content in the air and soil
are up to10 times higher than national
standards. Children suffer from birth
defects and developmental challenges.
The State Environmental
Protection Administration has
ordered all lead processing firms
to be shut down until they
address environmental impacts.
Waste rock and untreated water from the
mines impacts local water supplies. The
air and soils are also heavily affected.
Residents suffer from gastrointestinal
bleeding, tuberculosis, and asthma.
Infertility and birth defects are common.
Some piecemeal actions have
been taken by mining companies
but the scale of the problems is
“beyond the means of the State
to solve”.
Removed from list
Significant improvements have
been made at the site. For this
reason, it is no longer included in
this report.
Metal mining and smelting over 80 years
has caused significant lead
contamination. Blood lead levels for
children average 33.6 µg/dl, triple WHO
limits.
A major site for Cold War era
manufacturing where industrial
chemicals have been discharged into the
local water supplies. Life expectancy is
short and the death rate is significantly
higher than Russia’s average.
Mining and smelting operations have
devastated the area with particulates and
heavy metal pollution. Norilsk Nickel is
the biggest air polluting industrial
enterprise in Russia.
The legacy of this most infamous of
nuclear disasters lingers and has
resulted in thousands of cancer deaths.
Respiratory, ear, nose, and throat
diseases are common ailments.
Unregulated lead mining and smelting
operations resulted in lead dust covering
large areas. Children’s’ blood lead levels
average between 50 and 100 µg/dl – up
to ten times the recommended
maximum.
The current owner, Doe Run, has
made some investments in the
operating plant but the legacy
issues have not been addressed.
A number of isolated efforts have
been undertaken in individual
villages but no major clean-up
activity has been undertaken.
Norilsk Nickel has begun to
implement plans for some
emissions controls. There is as
yet little visible improvement.
Most residents have moved and
some remediation projects have
been implemented. Future health
impacts are possible.
The World Bank has begun a $40
million remediation program with
the Government of Gambia,
initiated with Blacksmith
involvement.
6
The Dirty Thirty (including the Top Ten)
(listed by region and type)
2007 World’s Worst Polluted Places – The Dirty Thirty Summary Matrix
World
Region
Type of Pollutant/Source
Mining
Metals
Africa
Kabwe,
Zambia
China
Wanshan Tianying,
China
China
PetroChems
Nuclear
Weapons
Industrial
Complex
SME
Cluster
Huaxi,
China
Urban
Waste
Dandora
Dumpsite,
Kenya
Air Pollution
Other
Lanzhou,
China
Linfen,
China
Eastern
Europe and
Central Asia
Chita,
Russia
Norilsk,
Russia
Bratsk,
Russia
Rudnaya
Pristan/
Dalneg’sk,
Russia
Oriente,
Ecuador
South Asia
Hazarib’g
Bangl’sh
Sukinda,
India
Chernobyl, Dzerzhinsk Sumgayit,
Ukraine
Russia
Azerbaijan
MailuuSuu,
Kyrgyzstan
Latin
Huancav’ Haina,
America and lca
Domincan
the
Peru
Republic
Caribbean
La Oroya,
Peru
Ranipet,
India
South-east
Asia
Urumqi,
China
Magnitogor
sk, Russia
UstKamenogorsk,
Kazakhstan
Mexico
City,
Mexico
MatanzaRiachuelo,
River
Basin,
Argentina
Mahad
Industrial
Estate,
India
Meycauayan City
and
Marilao,
Philippines
Blacksmith Institute
www.blacksmithinstitute.org
7
What Has Changed From the 2006 Listing?
Six of the ten sites that were on last year’s list remain in this year’s Top Ten:
Linfen (China),
La Oroya (Peru),
Dzerzhinsk (Russia),
Norilsk (Russia),
Chernobyl (Ukraine), and
Kabwe (Zambia).
One site that was on the longer list in 2006 has now moved into the Top Ten, as a
result mainly of the revisions to the scoring methodology. This site is:
Sumgayit (Azerbaijan)
The two following sites that were not on the nomination list in 2006 have now been
included in the Top Ten. Their identification during the past year and their inclusion
as top sites highlights the need for ongoing expansion and refinement of the overall
database of polluted sites, in order to find other neglected candidates.
Tianying (China) and
Sukinda (Orissa).
As a consequence of the inclusion of four new sites at the top of the overall list, the
following have dropped down lower into the Dirty Thirty listing.
Haina (Dominican Republic),
Ranipet (India),
Mailuu-Suu (Kyrgyzstan), and
Rudnaya Pristan (Russia).
The reasons for these lower rankings are fundamentally due to increased
competition from new sites and changes in the methodology that reduced the
ranking for smaller sites or for those where the risks are less clear. Remediation
works have commenced at some of these sites but the clean-ups have not
progressed to the point where they have reduced the impacts to a significant extent.
What Next?
As noted at the beginning of this report, there are cost effective interventions that
can be undertaken to deal with highest priority “hot spots” within the Dirty Thirty.
However, the level of investments required to deal with the top sites is beyond that
which can be assembled locally and therefore national government or even
Blacksmith Institute
www.blacksmithinstitute.org
8
international support is needed. Blacksmith and other groups work with key local
champions to identify realistic and practical solutions and then continue to be
intermediaries in trying to identify major support. The kind of issues that are most
amenable to this approach are large scale point-source problems such as mines and
metal smelters.
More difficult to address are the declining industrial cities or complexes, where a
focus on unfettered production in the past has left a legacy of human and
environmental problems. Unfortunately, there are too many of these “industry
towns” still carrying on where there is no economic alternative for the local
population. The interventions in these places begin with supporting a core group of
concerned people and officials to create a consensus and build momentum, starting
with some simple but visible improvements to show that progress is possible.
Blacksmith continues to support all of these approaches.
Blacksmith Institute
www.blacksmithinstitute.org
9
Details of the 2007 Top Ten World’s Worst Polluted
Places
(Sites Listed Alphabetically by Country)
Sumgayit, Azerbaijan
Potentially Affected
People:
275,000
Type of Pollutant:
Source of Pollution:
Organic chemicals, oil,
heavy metals including
mercury.
Petrochemical and
Industrial Complexes
The Problem:
Sumgayit was a major Soviet industrial center housing more than 40 factories
manufacturing industrial and agricultural chemicals. These included synthetic
rubber, chlorine, aluminium, detergents, and pesticides. While the factories
remained fully operational, 70-120,000 tons of harmful emissions were released into
the air annually. With the emphasis placed on maximum, low-cost production at the
expense of environmental and occupational health and safety, industry has left the
city heavily contaminated. Factory workers and residents of the city have been
exposed to a combination of high-level occupational and environmental pollution
problems for several decades.
Untreated sewage and mercury-contaminated sludge (from chlor-alkali industries)
continue to be dumped haphazardly. A continuing lack of pollution controls, dated
technologies and the improper disposal and treatment of accumulated industrial
waste are just some of the issues that plague the city.
Health Impacts:
Sumgayit had one of the highest morbidity rates during the Soviet Era and the
legacy of illness and death persist. A study jointly conducted by the UNDP, WHO,
Azerbaijan Republic Ministry of Health and the University of Alberta demonstrated
that residents of Sumgayit experience intensely high levels of both cancer morbidity
and mortality. Cancer rates in Sumgayit are 22-51% higher than average incidence
rates in the rest of Azerbaijan. Mortality rates from cancer are 8% higher. Evidence
suggests that lower reported cancer rates are flawed as a result of underreporting.
A high percentage of babies are born premature, stillborn, and with genetic defects
like downs syndrome, anencephaly, spina bifida, hydrocephalus, bone disease, and
mutations such as club feet, cleft palate, and additional digits.
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Status of Clean-Up Activity:
The government of Azerbaijan has obtained international support for the economic
and environmental rehabilitation of the city from several United Nations
organizations, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and
the World Health Organization (WHO). The UNDP helped to create the Sumgayit
Centre for Environmental Rehabilitation (SCER) to research and prioritize the
environmental problems and propose programs to address them. A number of
environmental epidemiology courses were held in Baku to strengthen the capacity of
local experts.
In 2003, the World Bank launched a US $2.7 million project for the cleanup of a
chlorine producing plant where 1,566 tons of mercury were spilled, including the
construction of a secure landfill. Other international projects funded by UK and
Japan have also been implemented.
Reports indicate that only 20% of Soviet Era polluting factories are still operating and
there are ongoing debates about closure of the remaining number. However, even if
all the polluting industries are dealt with, there remains a significant legacy clean-up
challenge.
Resources:
J.E. Andruchow, C.L. Soskolne, F. Racioppi, et al. “Cancer Incidence and Mortality in the Industrial
City of Sumgayit, Azerbaijan”. Int J. Occupational Environmental Health. (2006). 12 (3). 234-241.
http://www.ijoeh.com/pfds/IJOEH_1203_Andruchow.pdf.
J. W. Bickham, C. W. Matson, A. Islamzadeh, et al. “Editorial: The unknown environmental tragedy in
Sumgayit, Azerbaijan” Ecotoxicology, (2003).
12, 505-508.
“The State of Environment. Azerbaijan.” Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic
of Azerbaijan. http://www.eco.gov.az/v2.1/az/Azerbaijan/Eco_En.htm
Azerbaijan Country Environmental Analysis. ADB. (2006) Jan.
http://www.asiandevbank.org/Documents/Studies/Ctry-EnvironmentalAnalysis/2005/AZE/chap3.pdf#search=%22SUMGAYIT%20AZERBAIJAN%20remediation%202006%
22
Andruchow, James Edward. Epidemiology Program, Department of Public Health Sciences,
University of Alberta, January, 2003.
http://www.phs.ualberta.ca/staff/soskolne/PDF%20Files/Thesis-FINAL-UofA-Lodged-Jan6- 2003.pdf
Islamzade, Arif. Sumgayit: Soviet’s Pride, Azerbaijan’s Hell. Autumn 1994.
Blacksmith Institute
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11
Linfen, China
Potentially Affected
People:
3,000,000
Type of Pollutant:
Source of Pollution:
Fly-ash, carbon
monoxide, nitrogen
oxides, PM-2.5, PM-10,
sulfur dioxide, volatile
organic compounds,
arsenic, lead.
Automobile and industrial
emissions
The Problem:
Shanxi Province is at the heart of China’s enormous and expanding coal industry,
providing about two thirds of the nation’s energy. Within this highly polluted region,
Linfen has been identified as one of its most polluted cities with residents claiming
that they literally choke on coal dust in the evenings. In terms of air quality, the
World Bank has stated that 16 out of 20 of the world’s worst polluted cities are in
China while the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) has branded
Linfen as having the worst air quality in the country. Levels of SO2 and other
particulates are many times higher than limits set by the World Health Organization.
Rapid development and unequivocal faith in industry has led to the development of
hundreds of unregulated coal mines, steel factories and refineries which have not
only polluted indiscriminately but have also diverted agricultural water sources.
Water is so tightly rationed that even the provincial capital receives water for only a
few hours each day.
Health Impacts:
The high levels of pollution are taking a serious toll on the health of Linfen’s
inhabitants. Local clinics are seeing growing cases of bronchitis, pneumonia, and
lung cancer. The children of Shanxi Province also have high rates of lead poisoning.
A growing number of local deaths in recent years have been linked to these
overwhelming pollution levels.
Arsenicosis, a disease caused by drinking elevated concentrations of arsenic found
in water is at epidemic levels in the area. Chronic exposure to this toxic chemical
results in skin lesions, peripheral vascular disease, hypertension, blackfoot disease,
and high cancer incidence rates. A study of Shanxi’s well water published in
Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology found the rate of unsafe well water in the
province to be at an alarming 52%.
Blacksmith Institute
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Status of Clean-Up Activity:
By the end of this year, the city of Linfen plans to shut down 160 of 196 of its iron
foundries and 57 of 153 of its coal producing plants. Small, highly polluting plants
will be replaced with larger, cleaner, more regulated facilities. Emissions will be cut
further by shifting from coal to gas for central heating. Last year, Linfen’s residents
gained 15 more days of clean, breathable air as a result of newly implemented
initiatives. In addition to air quality improvement, the local government also hopes to
prevent serious coal mine accidents, which at this point are the cause of more than
10 deaths annually.
Resources:
China Internet Information Center. “Rivers Run Black in Shanxi Province.” China Daily (2006) July
17, 2006. http://service.china.org.cn/link/wcm/Show_Text?info_id=174874&p_qry=Linfen
Qin Jize. “Most polluted cities in China blacklisted.” China Daily. (2004) July 15.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-07/15/content_348397.htm
“The Most Polluted City in the World: Sixteen of the 20 most polluted cities in the world are in China.”
The Epoch times. (2006) June 10, 2006. (refers to air pollution and particulates)
http://www.theepochtimes.com/news/6-6-10/42510.html
“Environmental quality stable in general: report.” People's Daily Online (2004) July 14, 2004.
http://english.people.com.cn/200407/14/eng20040714_149521.html
Y. F. Li, Y. J. Zhang, G. L. Cao. “Distribution of seasonal SO2 emissions from fuel combustion and
industrial activities in the Shanxi province.” Atmospheric Environment (Oxford, England) (Jan. '99)
33 no2 p. 257
G. Sun. “Arsenic contamination and arsenicosis in China.” Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology.
(2004) 198 268-271.
S-g Wang, J-l Zhang. “Blood lead levels of children in China”. Environmental Sciences and Pollution
Mgmt. (2004) 21(6) 355-360.
Mary Kay Magistad “Land of Pollution.” The World. (2006) July 17, 2006.
http://www.theworld.org/?q=node/4059
Kristin Aunan, Jinghua Fang, Haakon Vennemo, Kenneth Oye, Hans M. Seip. “Co-benefits of climate
policy-lessons learned from a study in Shanxi, China.” Energy Policy. (2004) 32(4) 567-581
http://environment.guardian.co.uk/waste/story/0,,2042999,00.html#article_continue
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-05/24/content_879724.htm
http://www.gadling.com/2007/04/01/lifen-china-boosts-tourism-with-mask-give-a-way/
Blacksmith Institute
www.blacksmithinstitute.org
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Tianying, China
Potentially Affected
People:
140,000
Type of Pollutant:
Source of Pollution:
Lead and other heavy
metals
Mining and processing
The Problem:
Tianying in Anhui province is one of the largest lead production bases in China, with
an output accounting for half of the country’s total production. Low-level
technologies, illegal operation and the lack of any serious pollution control measures
in the firms have caused several severe lead poisoning cases in the region. It is also
believed that there are numerous small scale recycling plants in the area, which are
notorious for polluting. As a result of these indiscriminate practices, lead processing
firms in Tianying have been pressured by local residents and officials to shut down
their operations.
The average lead concentrations in air and soils were (respectively) 8.5 times and
10 times national health standards. Eighty-five per cent of air samples collected had
lead concentrations higher than the national standards. Local crops and wheat at
farmers' homes were also contaminated by lead dust, with some levels 24 times
higher than national standards.
Health Impacts:
Residents, particularly children, are reported to suffer from lead poisoning and its
related effects: lead encephalopathy, lower IQs, short attention spans, learning
disabilities, hyperactivity, impaired physical growth, hearing and visual problems,
stomach aches, irritation of the colon, kidney malfunction, anaemia and brain
damage. Pregnant women have reported numerous cases of premature births and
smaller/underdeveloped infants.
Status of Clean-Up Activity:
In June of 2000 SEPA (State Administration of Environmental Protection) designated
this area as one of the eight worst polluted sites in China. The local administration
ordered that all lead processing firms be shut down until they addressed their
environmental impacts. The government has demanded that all lead processing
firms move their operations to a specified industrial zone and improve their treatment
facilities. New lead smelters in China will have to be large scale, modern and with
adequate pollution controls. It is not known how effectively these orders are being
implemented.
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However, regardless of improvements made to ongoing plants, the legacy pollution
from the tons of lead lost from badly run plants in the past will continue to negatively
impact the local population for decades unless specific measures are implemented
to remove or encapsulate the worst polluted dust and soils.
Resources:
http://bobwhitson.typepad.com/howlings/2004/10/river_without_f.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12411081&dopt
=Abstract
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2003-09/10/content_1074451.htm_1-sep03
http://english.people.com.cn/200309/10/eng20030910_124085.shtml
Blacksmith Institute
www.blacksmithinstitute.org
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Sukinda, India
Potentially Affected
People:
2,600,000
Type of Pollutant:
Source of Pollution:
Hexavalent chromium
and other metals
Chromite mines and
processing
The Problem:
Sukinda Valley, in the State of Orissa, contains 97% of India’s chromite ore deposits
and one of the largest open cast chromite ore mines in the world. Twelve mines
continue to operate without any environmental management plans and over 30
million tons of waste rock are spread over the surrounding areas and the Brahmani
riverbanks. Untreated water is discharged by the mines into the river. This area is
also flood-prone, resulting in further contamination of the waterways. Approximately
70% of the surface water and 60% of the drinking water contains hexavalent
chromium at more than double national and international standards and levels of
over 20 times the standard have been recorded. The Brahmani River is the only
water source for the residents and treatment facilities are extremely limited. The
State Pollution Control Board has conceded that the water quality at various
locations suffers from very high levels of contamination. The air and soils are also
heavily impacted.
Health Impacts:
Chromite mine workers are constantly exposed to contaminated dust and water.
Gastrointestinal bleeding, tuberculosis and asthma are common ailments. Infertility,
birth defects, and stillbirths and have also resulted. The Orissa Voluntary Health
Association (OVHA), funded by the Norwegian government, reports acute health
problems in the area. OVHA reported that 84.75% of deaths in the mining areas and
86.42% of deaths in the nearby industrial villages occurred due to chromite-mine
related diseases. The survey report determined that villages less than one kilometre
from the sites were the worst affected, with 24.47% of the inhabitants found to be
suffering from pollution-induced diseases.
Status of Clean-Up Activity:
Sukinda is a classic example of pollution where the wastes are spread over a large
area and residents are affected by the chromium through multiple pathways. The
pollution problem from the chromite mines is well known and the mining industry has
taken some steps to reduce the levels of contamination by installing treatment
plants. However, according to state audits from Orissa, these fail to meet agency
regulations. The Orissa government has said, “It is unique, it is gigantic and it is
beyond the means and purview of the [Orissa Pollution Control] Board to solve the
problem.”
Blacksmith Institute
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Various organizations have carried out studies proving the debilitating health
impacts of the toxic pollution. However, remediation actions remain piecemeal with
no decisive plans to provide for effective health monitoring and abatement programs.
Resources:
http://www.geocities.com/envis_ism/news36_28.html http://mines.nic.in/anrep04-05/chapter7.pdf
http://cag.nic.in/reports/orissa/rep_2001/civil_overview.pdf
http://www.mmpindia.org/madhavan/pages/14.htm
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts7.html
http://www.rrlbhu.res.in/envis/Marine_pollution.html
http://www.mmpindia.org/madhavan/pages/14.htm
http://www.downtoearth.org.in/fullprint.asp
http://www.cesorissa.org/PDF/newsletter_vol_5.pd
http://rajyasabha.nic.in/book2/reports/petition/127threport.htm
Blacksmith Institute
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17
Vapi, India
Background
Vapi is a highly successful industrial estate in Gujarat, India. Developed by Gujarat
Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) during 1967, it is located in Valsad
District of Gujarat. The estate, spread on 1140 hectares of land in close proximity to
National Highway No 8 and Delhi Mumbai Railway line, and accommodates about
1382 industrial units out of which 800 units are operational (Source: CPCB).
The area accommodates a number of chemical industries including manufacturers of
pesticide, pharmaceuticals, dyes and dye intermediates, paints, and a sizeable
number of paper and pulp industries.
The major affected rivers for discharge of effluents are the Damanganga and Kolak.
These rivers flow almost parallel to the west, into the Arabian Sea, passing through
Daman on the coast.
History
VIA and the surrounding town of Vapi suffered from pollution substantially in its early
days, especially with regard to discharge of effluents, hazardous waste and air
pollution. The Central Effluent Treatment Plant initially was found to be poorly
performing, and came under much criticism from government reports, and from other
non-government agencies.
VIA has seen dramatic changes in pollution management from 2000 onward, with a
great deal of capital investment and local activities to reduce pollution of all types.
These efforts have been generally successful, and are now seen as an example for
others to follow. While more work needs to be undertaken; the improvements in
pollution management are to be commended.
This report summarizes many of the changes undertaken, and details the results of
those management strategies.
Effluent Management:
50 million liters per day (MLD) of effluent is generated throughout the Vapi Industrial
area, and out of that 45MLD is collected through GIDC drainage system and treated
at Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP). This plant has a current design
capacity of 55 MLD. The CETP is situated in the south-west direction on the bank of
river Damanganga, to which the treated effluent is discharged.
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The Vapi CETP was constructed with the cost of $9.2 million and further $2 million is
being spent to expand its capacity from 55 MLD to 70MLD and improve its
performance. In the past decade the CETP has taken various steps both for
expansion and to improve performance, so as to bring the discharge standards
within the limit.
Recently, the CETP introduced a new technology (FACCO) in collaboration with
CLRI, Chennai, to reduce Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD). This technology is in
trials, and will be in full operation by the end of 2009. This technology is already
installed in James Robinson (a member of VIA) and initial test results are positive.
In addition, other recent upgrade work done at Vapi CETP is that of tertiary
treatment which is now operational. Testing and evaluation is in process.
Vapi CETP takes both sewage and industrial effluent from the drainage canal and
thus gets a lot of inorganic and plastics which reduce the effectiveness of treatment
at CETP. A new screen device costing $110,000 has been installed at CETP inlet to
screen the unwanted waste like plastics rubber and other floating non biodegradable
waste. Earlier the operation was carried out manually which was not effective and
laborious.
Efforts have been made over the past decade to ensure that all plants are connected
to the CETP, and there is no direct release to the Damanganga.
The issue of an effluent disposal pipeline (from CETP, Vapi) to environmentally safe
location at the Arabian Sea is under discussion scrutiny by CPCB, GPCB and PCC,
Daman.
Hazardous Solid Waste Management:
Hazardous solid waste generated from the industries is disposed at secured landfill
facility (TSDF) provided at GIDC Vapi. Incinerable hazardous waste is mostly
disposed to other CHWTSDF at Surat and BEIL at Ankleshwar.
About 385,000 metric tons of waste is currently stored at the Vapi TSDF. According
to Vapi Effluent and Waste Management Company officials, the site has the capacity
to store waste for at least 10 more years, and more land is being acquired.
Vapi CETP is also piloting efforts in treatment of non hazardous waste using
vermitechnology; a technology which is proven useful for the bioconversion of paper
pulp sludge and other bio-sludge. This material is currently disposed off in the open
area and is one of the major concerns of Vapi Industrial Association.
Air Quality
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Much effort has been made to reduce air emissions from all plants. Testing stations
monitor air quality in the estate and the town itself, and results show that for the
most part air quality is within standards set by the Central Pollution Control Board.
Internal Monitoring Activities
VIA has become vigilant and have acted spontaneously in some illegal dumping of
hazardous waste. An illegal solid waste dump is analyzed and checked for the type
of contamination to identify the responsible industry.
Few examples showing prompt VIA actions are:
1) Large volume about couple of thousands of tons of Gypsum mixed with
Pthylocynin Blue were dumped on the banks of Damanganga river, under the bridge.
On analysis of the sample and identifying the source, It was found that it belong to
Jai Synth Dyes & Chemicals. Information was given to industry to collect it back and
material was suitably disposed off in both a cement industry kiln and some in TSDF
2) Claint Chemicals, which had been closed down, were manufacturing Aluminum
Chloride. The waste (approximately 100 tons) was collected and sent to the landfill
site. It was analyzed and found that it contained Aluminum Oxide and some chloride
which cannot be dumped in open land.
M/s. Anjaria Enviro Tech Pvt Ltd has helped many units to safely dispose of the
waste in secured landfill site as well as guiding it to send at cement factory for coincineration.
Notwithstanding, some illegal toxic dumps still exist, outside of the estate. VIA has
initiated a program to clean up these dump sites in conjunction with Blacksmith
Institute and other authorities.
Greening Initiatives:
CETP Vapi currently has more than 50,000 trees and every year there is addition in
the green belt development. At Naholi farms more that 30,000 teak, mango trees
are being grown for planting to further green the area.
Many shrubs and other beneficial plantation have been conducted on road side of
Vapi. About $600,000 is budgeted for additional plantings to be undertaken by M/s
VW&EM Company Ltd.
Infrastructure Development:
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Good roads are the major indicator for a well-run industrial estate. Vapi has
excellent roads suitable for heavy vehicles. Major investment in road has been
undertaken in the last decade, with an investment of almost $6 million, and plans for
an additional $10 million in the works. Road works include investment in drains and
underground pipeline for effluent to be directed to the CETP, now considered almost
complete. Some internal areas are still to be developed and are planned for
infrastructure in the next several years.
Water Management:
Vapi GIDC has a reserved a quantity of 100MGD requirement of water when the
Madhuban Damam was constructed and commissioned in 1981. GIDC draws
currently about 20MGD from the weir constructed in 1968 near the southern tip of
the industrial estate. The entire water is taken through a set of pumps from the weir
and sent to the filtration plant situated about 600 meters from the weir.
The water supply department has installed a filtering system with a capacity of
25MGD for filtering this water. The filtered water is then stored in transition sumps
with a capacity of about 3.5 MGD and then pumped to a total of seven Elevated
Storage Reserves (ESR) in various parts of the Estate. These ESRs then supply
filtered water to various parts of estate which includes industry and residential area