The Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology (MinPrirody) has published the plan of measures aimed at the fulfillment by the Russian Federation of its obligations under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (the POPs Convention). The POPs Convention aims to eliminate or restrict manufacturer and use of persistent organic pollutants (POPs).
According to the Plan, in 2017 the appointed state agencies (MinPrirody, Ministry of Healthcare, other environmental protection and other agencies) are to prepare legislative proposals that would restrict the use of chemical substances listed in Annex B (restricted chemicals) to the POPs Convention. Annex B includes substances like DDT, perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, its salts and perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride.
Such state agencies will also be required to develop and submit (during CY2017-2018) a proposal that would aim to prohibit any use and manufacture of substances included into Annex A to the POPs Convention, including the prohibition to operate, as of 2025 any equipment that includes polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Substances listed in Annex A to the POPs Convention (prohibited substances) include aldrin, chlordane, heptachlor, PCBs, etc.
Other planned measures include setting the requirement to identify and label any PCB-containing equipment and other PCB-containing products and special requirements pertaining to the operation of PCB-containing equipment, in accordance with clauses a, b, d and f of Part II of Annex A to the POPs Convention.
Import and export of substances included into Annex A of the POPs Convention would be prohibited, in accordance with Part 2 of Article 3 of the POPs Convention.
The planned measures would ensure that by 2028 all PCB-containing liquids and equipment has been disposed of in an environmentally sound manner, in accordance with clause e of Part II of Annex A of the POPs Convention.