The Solid Waste and Hazardous Substances Section which was established in 2005, is the newest section in the Environmental Protection Department (EPD). The EPD traditionally has conducting monitoring and regulation of the disposal of hazardous materials and the Solid Waste And Hazardous Substances Section was developed with the aim of improving the management of hazardous materials issues.

 

 

The Solid Waste And Hazardous Substances Section is responsible for:

 

The EPD is the focal point for the three main international agreements that deal with the management of hazardous materials which are the Basel Convention, Stockholm Convention and Rotterdam Convention. An overview of these and other conventions related to hazardous materials management is given below.

 

 

Barbados acceded to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Waste and their Disposal on August 24, 1995.  The Convention came into force on May 5, 1992.  The main goal of the Basel Convention is to protect human health and the environment against the harmful effects of hazardous waste through the use of strict controls.

 

The EPD is the focal point for the Convention. The Convention outlines the procedures to be adopted by parties to the Convention that would lead to an improvement in the management of hazardous wastes. Any hazardous waste that is shipped out of the island must comply with the rules of the Convention.

 

 

The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants came into force May 2004. Barbados acceded to the Convention on June 7, 2004. There are twelve chemicals or groups of chemicals categorised as persistent organic pollutants (POPs). These are aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, DDT, mirex, toxaphene, dioxins and furans, polychlorinated biphenyls, chlorodane, heptachlor, hexachlorobenzene. Aldrin, chlordane, endrin, dieldrin, DDT, heptachlor, mirex and toxaphene are pesticides. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are industrial chemicals. Hexachlorobenzene is both an industrial chemical and a pesticide. 

 

Most of the POPs pesticides are banned from use in Barbados by the Pesticide Control Board of the Ministry of Agriculture. The other POPs pesticides are not authorized for use in Barbados.

 

Barbados was one of the countries chosen to act as a pilot project for the development of the required National Implementation Plans under the Stockholm Convention. The National Implementation Plan which is the cumulation of these activities is in draft phase and will be finalised in 2006. The EPD is the focal point for the Stockholm Convention in Barbados.

 

 

The Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade was adopted on September 10, 1998 at the Diplomatic Conference held in Rotterdam. It came into force February 24, 2004 which was 90 days after its 50th ratification was submitted.

 

Barbados is signatory, but not party to the Rotterdam Convention. The EPD is the designated national authority for the Convention as well as the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, with the EPD being responsible for industrial chemicals and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for pesticides.

 

 

Barbados acceded to the Vienna Convention on the Protection of the Ozone Layer and the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer on October 16, 1992. The London Amendment and the Copenhagen Amendment was accepted on July 20, 1994. The Montreal Amendment and the Beijing Amendment was acceded to on December 10, 2002.

 

The goal of the Vienna Convention is to “protect human health and the environment against the adverse effects resulting from modification of the ozone layer”.

 

 

The Cartagena Convetion was adopted in Cartagena, Columbia on March 24, 1983 and entered into force on October 11, 1986. It applies to the wider Caribbean region i.e. the marine environment of the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea and the areas of the Atlantic Ocean adjacent to south of 30° N latitude and within 200 nautical miles of the Atlantic coasts of the parties to the Convention.

 

It deals with pollution from ships, pollution caused by dumping, pollution from sea-bed activities, airborne pollution and specially protected areas.

 

Barbados ratified the Cartagena Convention on May 28, 1985 and the Oil Spills Protocol. Barbados acceded to the Specially Protected Areas & Wildlife Protocol in November 2002. The protocol on Land-based sources of pollution has not been ratified as yet.

 

 

The International Convention for the Prevention of Marine Pollution from (1973) as modified by the Protocol of 1978, also referred to as MARPOL 73/78 was entered into force on 2 October 1983 as well as Annex I and II.

 

The Convention pertains to pollution caused by oil, chemicals, harmful substances in packaged form, sewage and garbage. There are six Annexes which are a part of Marpol 73/78. These are: 

 

Barbados has agreed to all of the Annexes listed above. Annex I and II are compulsory when the convention is signed.

 

 

The objective of the London Dumping Convention is “to promote the effective control of all sources of marine pollution and to take all practicable steps to prevent pollution of the sea by dumping of wastes and other matter.”

 

Apart from the following exceptions, all wastes are prohibited from being dumped into the sea:

 

Barbados is a party to the London Convention but not party to the 1996 Protocol.

 

 

This Convention was adopted on November 29, 1969 and was entered into force June 19, 1975. The 1992 protocol as amended in 2000 replaces the 1969 Convention. Barbados is party to the CLC Protocol 76 and to the CLC Protocol 92.

 

A ship which has caused damage due to the escape or discharge of oil is liable for such damage. The CLC Convention allows persons who are impacted by oil pollution to be compensated.

 

Under the 1992 protocol pollution damage caused in the exclusive economic zone or equivalent is covered. Spills caused by sea-going vessels constructed or adapted to carry oil in bulk as cargo are also covered by this protocol.

 

 

The 1992 protocol has replaced the 1971 Convention. Barbados is party to the 1976 Protocol, the 1992 protocol and the 2003 protocol.

 

The Fund Convention provides compensation to States and persons experiencing pollution damage where protection granted by the 1969 CLC is insufficient; or where compensation is not obtainable or unsatisfactory from the liable ship owner.

 

Another purpose of the Fund Convention is to relieve ship owners of the financial encumbrance incurred under said 1969 CLC. Where the ship owner cannot meet their liability or there is no liable ship owner, the Fund Convention is required to pay the full compensation amount due. However, the relief is subject to provisions that ensure compliance with safety at sea as well as other conventions.