KAZAKHSTAN SETS UP AN ELECTRONIC DATABASE OF POLLUTION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ASTANA 002233

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR SCA/CEN, OES/PCI

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV ECON SENV KDEM OSCE UN KZ
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN SETS UP AN ELECTRONIC DATABASE OF POLLUTION
EMISSIONS IN ACCORDANCE WITH AARHUS CONVENTION

REF: ASTANA 1776

ASTANA 00002233 001.3 OF 003



1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.


2. (SBU) SUMMARY: The Ministry of Environment recently hosted a
round table on setting up an electronic register of emissions and
pollution transmissions (PRTRs) with the participation of several
environmental NGOs and the Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe (OSCE). Under the Aarhus Convention, which grants the
public rights to access environmental information, each party must
set up a pollution register. Industry is also required to report
its emissions. A Kazakhstani NGO published a booklet on PRTRs that
can help inform the public of their rights. Current Kazakhstani law
only permits the registration of 86 substances as pollutants. AES
Thermal Plant in Ust-Kamenogorsk also supported establishment of a
register because it believes open access to information leads to a
better partnership among business, government, and society.
Unfortunately, the government has inventoried only 20% of all
chemical storage sites in the country, and they are aging,
deteriorating, and polluting the surrounding land and ground-water
supply. END SUMMARY.

KAZAKHSTAN ESTABLISHES A POLLUTION EMISSIONS REGISTER


3. (U) The Ministry of Environment recently hosted a round table,
"Strengthening Social Participation in the Aarhus Process, Setting
Up an Electronic Register of Emissions and Pollution Transmissions,"
with the participation of several environmental NGOs and the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
Ministry of Environment Legal Affairs Director Diana Mukanova opened
the round table, saying Kazakhstan must establish an electronic
pollution "register" in order to meet its obligations under the
Aarhus Convention, to which it is a signatory. (NOTE: The United
Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Convention on Access
to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access
to Justice in Environmental Matters -- usually known as the Aarhus
Convention -- grants the public rights to access to information on
matters concerning the local, national, and trans-boundary
environment. The Kiev Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer
Registers (PRTRs) obligates parties to set up pollution inventories
from industrial sites and other sources, such as agriculture and
transport. The Protocol also requires private enterprises to report
annually on their releases and transfers of pollutants, with
"transfer" meaning "outside the industrial facility," including by
wind or water. END NOTE.)

AARHUS CENTER WILL HOUSE THE REGISTER


4. (U) According to Aarhus Center Director Zhulgyz Murzabekeva, the
Aarhus Center, whose primary function is to gather and distribute
environmental information, will manage the emissions register. Open
in Atyrau since September 21, the Center now has more than 800
"normative" documents and considerable ecological information in its
online database. Murzabekeva said the Aarhus Convention strives to
support the right to access to information on the environment and
any potential harm that may arise from pollution. She asserted the
Center works closely with all government bodies.

REGISTER WILL ENHANCE PUBLIC ACCESS TO INFORMATION


5. (SBU) European Commission Environmental Bureau Coordinator and
Eco-Forum NGO Representative Mara Silina commented on the importance
of providing information not only to the government but to all the
people and NGOs. She said the register aims to "enhance public
access to information," as well as encourage public participation in
environmental decision-making. Currently, 86 pollutants can be
included in the register (determined by Annex II),including
greenhouse gases, acid rain, ozone-depleting substances, heavy
metals, pesticides, and various industrial chemicals. The
Convention also requires owners and/or operators of polluting
factories and plants to report their emissions starting in 2010.
The first meeting of the 21 ratifying parties to the Convention will

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take place on April 20-22, 2010 (location to be determined).
Silina underlined the major challenge of increasing signatories'
ratification of the Convention, particularly among the Caucasus and
Central Asian countries, which would strengthen the level of
international cooperation.


6. (U) Eco-Forum has produced a 43-page booklet on PRTRs -- "Your
Right to Information on Sources of Pollution," with some of the
sections including "Information on Pollution and Ecological
Democracy," "Life Cycle of Industrial Chemical Substances," "Actual
PRTR Example: U.S. Toxic Emissions Register," and detailed aspects
of the PRTR Protocol. Salina said the Aarhus Center can distribute
these booklets to the general population in order to help them
better understand their rights under the Convention and ways to use
these rights and information to better protect the environment. She
said Georgia, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan are currently
implementing European-funded projects on PRTRs.

CURRENT LAW NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED AND UPDATED


7. (SBU) Ust-Kamenogorsk NGO "Green Women" representative Lidia
Astanina said that some legislative weaknesses remain in the
organization of a data register. She additionally highlighted
needed improvements and updates to the legal code in order to
broaden and clarify the term "pollution" and potential enforcement
responses. Currently, the law only lists 86 substances for
potential registration.

AES THERMAL PLANT ALSO SUPPORTS THE EMISSIONS REGISTER


8. (SBU) Applied Energy Services (AES)-owned and operated
Ust-Kamenogorsk Thermal Power Plant representative Vadim Litvinov
underlined his company's efforts to have an open and constructive
dialogue with all social partners. He asserted that this approach
ensures AES a much more positive relationship with the government.
(NOTE: Applied Energy Services (AES),a U.S. company, is one of the
world's leading power companies, employing more than 30,000, and
generating and distributing electric power in 26 countries. END
NOTE.)


9. (SBU) Litvinov cited a recent poll in which a majority surveyed
agreed on the need for access to information on emissions. However,
70% of the population does not trust industry-provided information,
particularly with respect to their emissions. He said these results
imply a larger problem for industry with respect to public relations
and social trust.


10. (SBU) According to Litvinov, AES prepares and submits a
quarterly emissions report to the state tax bureau because of the
tax on emissions. He claimed the establishment of a PRTR register
fully aligns with AES's environmental policy, because such open
access to information corresponds to the promotion of a better
partnership with the government and society.

ONLY 20% OF STORAGE SITES INVENTORIED


11. (SBU) Center for Chemical Safety "Ecomir" (Ecoworld)
representative Amina Beibitova said Kazakhstan has inventoried only
20% of all the chemical storage sites in the country. These
locations are aging, deteriorating, and polluting the surrounding
land and ground-water supply. In addition, numerous landfills with
transformers, condensers, various electrical appliances, paints, and
plastics exist. Local residents can help overcome the difficulties
of monitoring these sites by reporting on them to the Aarhus Center.
She asserted laboratories can acquire specialized equipment, such
as chromatic spectrometers and "Clor-N-Soil" (brand name)
potentiometers, which can test the soil for chloride content. Such
surveillance can improve the work necessary to prevent dump sites
from becoming a source of dangerous pollution.


12. (SBU) COMMENT: The Aarhus Convention combines environmental
protection with individual rights. As such, it clearly intersects

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environmental security and grass-roots democracy and activism.
While the local level may face difficulties in securing access to
information on pollution, some NGOs (see reftel) have demonstrated
the commitment of higher courts and the central government to
guaranteeing access to sensitive pollution information. This
seemingly "small" event of setting up emission registers in
Kazakhstan demonstrates progress toward greater empowerment of
Kazakhstan's citizenry. It also shows the Kazakhstani government's
determination to carry out its commitment to
environmentally-sustainable development. Like in numerous other
areas, the Kazakhstani government is cooperating closely with NGOs,
which are playing an active role, in order to improve the lives of
its citizens. END COMMENT.

HOAGLAND