Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) are a class of synthetic organic chemicals. Since the 1930s, PCBs were used globally for a variety of industrial uses (mainly as dielectric fluids in capacitors and transformers but also as flame retardants, ink solvents, plasticizers, etc.) because of their chemical stability. In the 1970s it became generally recognized that their chemical stability also represented a serious threat to human health and the environment if they were released. PCBs are considered to be immune-toxic and affect reproduction with specific adverse effects associated to the chronic exposure being damage to the immune system, liver, skin, reproductive system, gastrointestinal tract and thyroid gland. While local impacts close to the source of release of these chemicals into the environment are of concern, the primary impacts are widely distributed and effectively global in nature, given the chemical’s characteristics of bio-accumulating higher in the food chain and being subject to long range, multi media transport mechanisms.
The project will provide Kyrgyzstan with the tools to achieve effective compliance with respect its Convention obligations and the objective of substantively minimizing the environmental and health risks, both local and global. It has been developed to specifically address the principle barriers identified during project preparation through (1) Component One: Identification of PCBs and Enhancing Awareness, (2) Component Two: Strengthening Legislative and Regulatory Measures, and Supporting Institutions, (3) Component Three: Development of Technical Capacity for Sustainable PCB Management, (4) Component Four: Securing PCB Stockpiles and Wastes, and (5) Component Five:Monitoring, learning, adaptive feedback, outreach and evaluation.
Delivery in 2008 - $6,000; 2009 - $31,000; 2010 - $40,000; 2011 - $255,000.
