July 12, 2013, Nizhyn, Chernihiv Oblast — The Nizhyn Raion State Administration hosted a seminar on agrochemical safety, initiated by the environmental NGO "Mama-86-Nizhyn." The event was attended by farmers, agricultural producers, doctors, scientists, the raion's leaders and village mayors, as well as villagers interested in gaining more knowledge about the safe use of pesticides and other agrochemicals.

The seminar was conducted within the framework of a project on building the organization's institutional capacity through formation of an initiative group of villagers in the Nizhyn Raion for protection of their environmental rights infringed as a result of improper application of chemicals in agriculture.

The participants reviewed facts of agrochemical safety violation in the Nizhyn Raion's villages and discussed combining authorities' and community's efforts to prevent such facts. Other questions considered at the seminar included the agrochemical safety legal framework, health and environmental risks of agrochemical safety violation, and healthy alternatives to the use of agrochemicals.

One of the event's results was a resolution that provides for specific actions to be taken to ensure proper application and management of agrochemicals. These actions include encouragement to formation of spearhead groups for monitoring observance of relevant legislation, development of a reference book on application and storage of agrochemicals, development of public authorities' practical recommendations on how to improve the situation in this field, and holding a conference based on results of the project implementation.

Mama-86-Nizhyn has been investigating the situation with obsolete pesticides in the Nizhyn and neighboring raions since 2003. It discovered dilapidated warehouses with obsolete pesticides on the territories of former kolkhozes. In conjunction with the Raion Rada, the NGO took a number of actions to repack remnants of the obsolete pesticides and clean up most storage sites.

In 2011, responding to a request from villagers in the Nosivka Raion, Mama-86-Nizhyn studied misuse of agrochemicals there. The study resulted in a compiled and printed collection of materials, Local Chornobyls, which had repercussions among villagers in the region.

The appeals by citizens helped the organization outline problems and write project proposals. The pivotal point of the project was the formation of the initiative group of concerned villagers who did not want to accept the infringement of their right to clean environment. The spearhead, supported by Mama-86-Nizhyn, launched monitoring of agrochemical misuse facts and reached agreement with the Raion Rada and State Administration to unite efforts.

***

Storing in the open air:
 

A place where pesticides were stored:
 

Trees burnt by pesticides: