OSCE removes obsolete pesticides from Transdniestria

CHISINAU, 28 November 2013 – Forty tons of obsolete Soviet-era pesticides left Transdniestria today to be safely disposed of in Germany, with the financial and technical support of the OSCE Mission to Moldova. This is the final phase of a project under which some 100 tons of hazardous material from the left bank of the Dniester/Nistru River will be removed.

“Not only do these chemicals present a threat to the environment and the health of the people, they also put a burden on the local authorities responsible for the storage sites,” said Jan Plešinger, Deputy Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova. He stressed that the project also contributes to dialogue, co-operation and confidence-building between both banks of the Dniester/Nistru River.

Following a request from the Transdniestrian authorities, the OSCE developed the project to finance the disposal of some 100 tons of obsolete pesticides. In February 2013, the OSCE Mission to Moldova and the Moldovan Environment Ministry signed a Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate the safe international transit of obsolete pesticides stored in Transdniestria.

According to expert assessments, up to several hundreds of tons of pesticides still need to be removed from the region.