APPEAL
of the International Solid Waste Association Young Professionals Group in Ukraine (ISWA YPG in Ukraine)
It is 9th day since Russian Federation launched a large-scale military invasion against Ukraine. We, group of young professionals from the International Solid Waste Association in Ukraine, are appealing to the international community.
Our mission is to establish global connections among human beings, disseminate knowledge and ideas aimed at improving the environment, promote sustainable development, production and consumption including waste management. BUT…
It is full scale war in Ukraine just now!!! It is 9th day since Russian Federation launched a large-scale invasion. People are forced to leave their homes, civilians suffer, children die… After shelling and bombing of the population, many settlements are converted into continuous square kilometers littered with waste from destroyed houses, facilities and infrastructure residuals, survived residents are left without any life support infrastructure.
In addition to the critical threat to Ukraine, Russia poses a threat of disaster for whole Europe. Only according to official data of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine:
• There was a fire at the oil depot in Kryachky village (Vasylkiv community next to Kyiv border) due to missile attacks on residential buildings and civilian infrastructure (Feb 27)
• Explosion of oil depot in Okhtyrka, Sumy region after shell hit (Feb 28)
• The set of diesel fuel reservoirs with a total capacity of 5 thousand cubic meters erupted in Chernihiv after the shelling (Mar 3)
• The Russian military captured the Chernobyl nuclear power plant together with its operation team
• In March 3 the biggest in Europe Zaporizhzhya Nucler Power Plant was attacked. The fire that broke out for a long time could not be stopped due to lack of access to the facility. There are damages of the structure of the reactor compartment of the power unit № 1. No changes in radiation level in morning of March 4 have been recorded yet, but the plans of the Russian occupiers are not predicted.
There are 4 nuclear power plants in Ukraine !!! Additionally nuclear waste storage facilities are located on the territory of the Chornobyl NPP!! The status of these facilities due to military conflict is not known! Carrying out any hostilities near nuclear power plants is a direct threat to their possible destruction and the spread of radioactive contamination including transboundary pollution!
In Ukraine, there are 465 tailings and sludge storage facilities. They are high-risk facilities storing 6 billion tons of waste materials, some of which contain highly toxic substances. In case of damage, some of the facilities can become sources of transboundary pollution. In the event of the destruction of these facilities, the elimination of accidents are impossible.
Particular concern are the enterprises of chemical phenolic production and waste storage facility with high content of phenols. They can create a domino effect due to explosions (consecutive destruction of nearby dangerous objects). There are also metallurgical facilities in danger. There are waste storage facility with sulfur ore residues close to Dniester River. This is a direct danger not only for Ukraine
Damage of civil infrastructure and lack of green corridors increase the risk of enormous waste generation of animal origin at livestock enterprises
All mentioned above indicates a direct violation of Ukrainian environmental law, human rights, nuclear security and global peace. It was already stated by Deputy Minister of Environment and Natural Resources of Ukraine Roman Shakhmatenko during the Second Part of the 5th Session of the UN Environment Assembly.
The list of the accidents which we have given above is incomplete and the full extent of the environmental damage could be estimated after the end of the war. But stopping the war can prevent new environmental crimes by the occupiers against people and the environment.
We, as representatives of the ISWA group of young Ukrainian professionals unites representatives of the Ukrainian city authorities and waste utilities, consultants involved in international projects, and representatives of NGOs on waste management issue
We APPEAL TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY:
1. Ensure that Russian occupiers comply with the Geneva Convention, in particular the cessation of hostilities near high-risk facilities, including nuclear power plants, in order to avoid a global catastrophe
2. Insist that NATO countries close the skies (The Treaty on Open Skies) over Ukraine and provide Ukraine with air defense facilities which allow prevent unpredictable accidents
3. Ensure the provision of green corridors for the evacuation of civilians and the provision of humanitarian assistance
4. Ensure stopping hostilities throughout Ukraine
5. Go to protests against ecocide and terrorism by the Russian occupiers
Each day of the war it's a new accidents and dies
Members ISWA YPG in Ukraine (Kharkiv, Kyiv, Kherson, Muriopul, Dnipro, Verkhovyna, Lviv, Poltava, Khmelnistki, Boyarka, Berdiansk, Vyshhorod, Tulchyn)
ISWA Young Professionals Group ISWA International Solid Waste Association