United Nations Environment Programme - Stockholm Convention on ...

waste management services in the city. This will include efforts to reduce waste generation and the
development of a new “state-of-the-art” landfill facility.
Exercise: Review the guidance relevant to waste burning and then comment on the following:
1. What advice should the Department of <strong>Environment</strong> give to the City Council, to promote the
application of BAT/BEP in the new waste programme?
2. What incentives could be considered to promote alternatives to rubbish disposal by burning?
3. What data gathering and/or monitoring programmes could be put in place to assess the
effectiveness of the above actions (noting also the review and reporting requirements under Article
5(a)(v) of the <strong>Stockholm</strong> <strong>Convention</strong>).
3. Biomass-Fired Power Boilers
The dioxin/furan inventory identified at least 15 power boilers in Paradisio that are either powered using
biomass, or co-fired with a mix of biomass and fossil fuels. Most of these plants are associated with the
processing of sugar cane and copra production. Many of the units are old and inefficient and it can be
expected that most of these will be replaced at some time over the next 10 years. In addition, this
programme is likely to be accelerated by a move in both of these industries towards larger centralised
processing plants.
Exercise: Review the guidance relevant to these power boilers and then comment on:
1. What guidance can be given on alternative processes or methods for reducing dioxin releases from
these sources?
2. What mechanisms (regulatory or otherwise) should be considered for ensuring the application of
BAT/BEP in any new or substantially modified installations?
3. What criteria should be established for deciding when plant modifications amount to “substantial”?
4. Domestic Wood-Burning
As with most Pacific Island countries, significant quantities of wood are used in Paradisio for cooking and
to a lesser extent, home heating.
Exercise: Review the relevant guidance on domestic wood burning and comment on:
1. Its relevance to and potential for practical application in the Pacific Island situation?
2. What additional guidance, research or other developments could be considered for assisting
countries in reducing releases from this source?
Attachment 1: Provisional Inventories of Dioxin Releases to Air – 5 Pacific Island Countries
The information given below has been taken from draft inventory reports for five Pacific Island countries,
ranging in size from Niue (popn 1800) through to Papua New Guinea, which is the largest in the subregion
(popn 5.2million). The populations of the other three countries are Federated States of Micronesia,
110,000, Samoa, 167,000 and Fiji, 810,000.
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