National Implementation Plan – Stockholm Conventionen on Persistent Organic Pollutants

National Implementation Plan – Stockholm Conventionen on Persistent Organic Pollutants

Executive Summary

Denmark ratified the Stockholm Convention on 17 December 2003, five months before the entry into force of the Convention on 17 May 2004. The ratification was made with a territorial exclusion in respect of the Faroe Islands and Greenland, and therefore the Convention does not apply in the Faroe Islands and Greenland at this time.

The Stockholm Convention covers a number of obligations that Denmark has assumed in other fora, including obligations under the UNECE Protocol on Persistent Organic Pollutants, the Helsinki Convention and the OSPAR Convention. Furthermore, Denmark has endorsed the Nordic strategy on Sustainable Development and the Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy (AEPS). Partly as a consequence of this, Denmark has already taken a number of substantial measures in the area of persistent organic pollutants.

Legislation on POPs in Denmark

Regulation in Denmark of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and waste containing POPs is characterised by a close interaction between EU legislation and national legislation. Most regulation on POPs is a consequence of EU regulation.

In the EU, the Stockholm Convention is implemented through Regulation 850/2004 on persistent organic pollutants. This regulation is supplemented by a Regulation on export and import of dangerous chemicals and a Regulation on the supervision and control of shipments of waste. Nationally, this regulation is supplemented by the Danish Environmental Protection Act, the Act on Chemical Substances and Products and a number of Statutory Orders under these acts, including the Statutory Order nr. 820 of 29 September 2003 on Persistent Organic Pollutants.

Under this set of regulations import, export, use and intentional production of the substances covered by the Stockholm Convention is banned.

POPs-related problems in Denmark

The intentionally produced substances constitute a very limited problem in Denmark. None of the substances covered by annex A of the Stockholm Convention have been intentionally procuced in Denmark. Only DDT, aldrin, dieldrin, endrin and heptachlor have been used in Denmark. Of these only DDT and dieldrin have been subject to widespread use. It is assessed that there are no stockpiles of POPs waste in Denmark.

The registered occurrence of POPs pesticides in foodstuffs do not raise cause for concern for human health, and measurements of POPs pesticides in groundwater during 1993 – 2003 have not led to findings of the substances.

The levels of PCB in the environment have been decreasing substantially over the last 30 years, but it cannot be excluded that PCB can still affect some organisms. The levels of PCB in foodstuff do not give cause for concern for human health.

PCB has never been produced in Denmark. For a time PCB was used for different technical purposes, for example in equipment, and also in products such as paint, sealing material and self-copying paper. It is likely that there is still a limited number of capacitors containing PCB in use or stocked in companies, even though a ban has been in place for many years. As concerns waste containing PCB, only a small and declining number of capacitors is disposed of. A study is currently looking into the occurrence of PCB in building materials in older buildings.

Denmark’s problems with POPs are mainly related to unintentionally produced dioxins. The emissions from a number of sources have been reduced markedly over recent years. However, it is estimated that approximately 5 per cent of the Danish population has an intake that exceeds the tolerable daily intake.

The emissions of dioxin have been estimated for 1995 and 2000-2002, but comparison is hampered by the fact that emissions from a number of sources were not included in the estimations for 1995, and the methods for estimation differ. Consequently it is not possible to make a precise evaluation of the decline in emissions, even though it is known that the emissions from incineration plants and industrial plants have decreased substantially. A revised assessment of emissions in 1990 and 2004 is currently being undertaken, and new figures will be presented later this year.

Today, after the entry into force of new emission standards for incineration plans, the largest contributions to the overall emissions of dioxin to air are, in decreasing order:

(i) energy transformation, especially the use of wood burning stoves and burning biomass in smaller and larger plants

(ii) treatment and disposal of waste, especially burning of household waste and landfill sites

(iii) miscellaneous other activities, especially fires and bonfires.

Industrial processes are estimated to constitute a minor part of the overall emissions of dioxin, due to extensive flue gas purification.

Prioritised target areas

On the basis of the present assessment it can be concluded that to a high extent Denmark complies with the provisions of the Stockholm Convention. This plan of implementation therefore contains a limited number of new measures.

The new measures are mainly directed towards unintentional production of dioxins and treatment of waste containing POPs and towards activities related to research, development and information. The measures are listed in the table below.

The existing measures have been successful in limiting emissions from the major sources, but for some sources, for example wood burning stoves, readily useable solutions do not exist. At the outset, initiatives will therefore focus on obtaining better knowledge. The formation of residues from flue gas purification also gives rise to further consideration.

In relation to PCB, initiatives will await the results of the ongoing study on PCB in building materials. The need for additional measures will subsequently be assessed.

The plan of implementation includes measures that in various ways contribute to the fulfilment of the obligations under the Stockholm Convention. Denmark has a long standing tradition for closely studying POPs in the environment and their possible effects on human health and the environment. This work will continue, and will include new pollutants that exhibit POPs characteristics. Denmark is positive towards including a number of pollutants under the Convention and will strive for their inclusion in the annexes of the Convention.

Denmark will primarily assist developing countries and countries with economies in transition through the financial mechanism of the Convention, namely the Global Environment Facility, GEF, to which Denmark has increased its contributions in recent years.

New initiatives and activities for the implementation of the Stockholm Convention

Area	New initiatives and activities
Areas related to specific POP- substances
Annex A (part II) substance: Intentional use of PCB	See below under ”stockpiles, waste and contaminated sites”.
Annex C substances: Unintentional emissions of PCDD/PCDF (dioxins and furans), PCB and HCB	Continuations of studies on emissions of dioxin and other pollutants from wood burning stoves and smaller combustion plants with the aim of identifying possible measures to reduce emissions. A study will be undertaken to assess whether there are sources for the emissions of unintentionally produced HCB or PCB in Denmark that have been overlooked. If this appears to be the case, an assessment of emissions will be made if possible, and the need for further measures will be considered. Requirement for flue gas purification for mercury, which will also limit the emissions of POP substances.
Stockpiles, waste and contaminated sites	An ongoing study is looking into the content of PCB in building materials in older buildings. When the results are known, it will be decided whether new initiatives in the area are called for. Continuing efforts to de-couple growth in waste from economic growth. Further efforts to limit the amount of PVC in waste incineration Denmark expects to take a decision on the future treatment of residue from flue gas purification in 2006.
Listing of new chemical substances in annex A, B and C	Denmark is positive towards the listing of a number of new substances on the annexes to the UNECE POP Protocol and the Stockholm Convention and will work for their listing.
Other areas
Exchange of information and information to the public	Existing relevant teaching material on chemicals, especially directed at adolescents, will be expanded and updated regarding POP substances. Continuing use of campaign material to promote the reduction of emissions from wood burning stoves and similar.
Research, development and monitoring	Regular consideration whether there is a need for further studies on dioxin in mothers’ milk, in order to follow the development in the burden on the population from dioxin. The conversion of dioxin in the Baltic Sea will be studied, in order to establish to what extent dioxin, which is presently accumulated in fish, originates from atmospheric deposition or is due to remobilization of dioxin from the seabed. Investigation into the sources of dioxin in organic farming. Further support to research initiatives investigating the presence of POP substances in the Arctic environment and their effects on humans and animals. POP substances covered by the Stockholm Convention as well as potential candidates are anticipated as subjects for further studies.
Technical and financial assistance to other countries	Continue to support POP related activities channelled through the GEF. Support to the establishment of regulation on POP substances may to a lesser extent be possible in connection with general support for capacity building for environment authorities in countries that Denmark has programme cooperation with, if prioritized by the countries.
Efficiency evaluation	Denmark will await further decisions of the Conference of the Parties on which data needs to be reported and in which format. If the existing monitoring data regarding the occurrence of the POP substances do not satisfy the future data requirements of the Convention, the necessary further monitoring will be established.