Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698834935181.pdf (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)
1 This document is an update to St. Vincent and the Grenadines National Chemical Management Profile for the Management of Chemicals and Waste, “A St. Vincent and the Grenadines SAICM Initiative Mainstreaming into Development Plans of the Sound Management of Chemicals Priorities for Key Development Sectors in Belize and Associated Sound Management of Chemicals Governance Project”.
An Activity under the Programme “Sound Management of Industrial Chemicals under the Rotterdam Convention” to be executed in the Caribbean region.

Executed and Prepared by: Basel Convention Regional Centre for Training and Technology Transfer (BCRC-Caribbean), #8 Alexandra Street, St. Clair, Port of Spain.

Trinidad and Tobago.

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Tel: +1 868 628 8369 Fax: +1 868 628 2151 E-mail: bcrc.caribbean@gmail.com Web: bcrc-caribbean.blogspot.com Funded by: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) represented by the Secretariat of the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade (SRC).
National Focal Point for the Rotterdam Convention Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment Public Health Department Environmental Health Complex St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

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2 Executive Summary A National Chemical Profile provides a recognized country information reference base that can be utilized to assess the country’s current situation in terms of effectively managing chemicals.
Thisdocument represents an update of the National Chemical Profile for St. Vincent and the Grenadines(SVG) identifying gaps in terms of the capacity to manage chemicals and assesses the mechanisms available to address the problems.
The updated chemical profile was prepared in response to a pilot project funded by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)/Secretariat of the Rotterdam Convention as part of an overarching goal to facilitate the strengthening of the capacities of developing countries to assess and mange risks, prepare and communicate import responses and take decisions on final regulatory actions for hazardous industrial chemicals that are listed under the Rotterdam Convention in accordance with the prior informed consent procedure.
The existing chemical profile for SVG was analyzed and information gaps were identified.

Formal letters of request were sent to a variety of stakeholders from the public and private sector to collect the information needed.

This data was then used to build on the previous work that had been done, vetting of a substantial amount of the information contained.
The results of the initial introductory workshop on industrial chemicals under the Rotterdam Convention were used to compile the list of stakeholders and harness the input of the major stakeholders for the development of the report.

This study was compiled based on the data availability in country and the willingness of Government as well as private companies to commit to submit the data as requested.
Chapter 1 of the report provides general information on Saint Vincent and the Grenadines with special emphasis on the major economic sectors to provide the backdrop for better understanding of the issues related to the integrated management of chemicals discussed in the following sections of the report.

The economy of SVGis dependent largely on the Agriculture Sector and the Services Sector.

Within recent time however, a contraction of the former has resulted in a GDP contribution of less than 6%.
Chapter 2 provided a summary of the legal and institutional capacity for chemicals management in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and focuses on the legal instruments and non-regulatory mechanisms for managing chemicals; information on the Ministries, Agencies and other Institutions managing chemicals; describing and reviewing the various organizations and non-governmental bodies and entities which support national efforts to manage chemicals; and reviewing the inter-ministerial commissions and coordinating mechanisms for chemicals management.
This section of the report indicates that the legislation related to the integrated management of chemical is fragmented among various institutions often with very little coordination occurring among them.

There is no specific piece of legislation that governs the management of chemicals 3 in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The main pieces of legislation having direct influence on the importation, production, transportation, use and distribution of chemicals include the Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control Act, Plant Protection Act (2005), Environmental Services Act (1991), Environmental Health Services Act (2001), Central Water and Sewerage Authority Act No.

6 of 1978, Oil in Navigable Waters Act Cap 366, The Fisheries Act No.
8 of (1996), Pharmacy Act and the Waste Management Act (2000) Among the various existing legislation, the Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Act and the Pharmacy Act are the most important statutes related to the importation, production, use and disposal of chemicals.

Both pieces of legislation have promulgated several important regulations to facilitate their implementation.
The section also points out that aside from these, there are several pieces of legislation that have requirements that are incidental and have important bearing on the integrated management of chemical which requires that their responsible institutions also be actively involved in any coordinated national effort.

The key approaches for controlling or managing chemicals in SVG is primarily done through these major legal instruments supported by sections contained in several other instruments.
This system involves the requirement of a number of permits or licenses permitting some aspect of the life cycle of chemicals life cycle of chemicals, including importation, processing, storage, transport, distribution , use, and disposal.

Non- compliance may result in the cancelation of permits or licenses, the imposition of fines, seizure of property and imprisonment.
The overarching legislation establishes a fairly comprehensive general legal framework for the control of chemicals making several of the basic principles of sound chemicals management legally binding.

The existing legislative framework however, needs to be integrated across all sectors and should allow for harmonization of penalties and consistency with national, regional and international efforts.

Clarification is required in areas where there are overlapping responsibilities or juxtaposed requirements.
The existence of a comprehensive and well-coordinated legal framework can help to avoid piecemeal, overlapping, or conflicting regulations.

Additionally, the report points out, that presently there is no institution that fully addresses the management of chemicals throughout their entire life cycle.

That is, their importation, processing, storage, transport, use, disposal and recycling.

The responsibility for regulating is for one or several life cycle stages but not all.
The Ministry of Health Wellness and the Environment was identified as the main Ministry with overarching responsibilities for the management of waste and more specifically, chemical waste.

The Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control Act, while may be sufficient for Pesticides and toxic chemicals, excludes the other chemicals that may not be characterized as such.
4 St. Vincent and the Grenadines does not produce chemicals and as such the required chemicals are imported to be used in the manufacturing industry.

The country does have some non-Governmental, non-profit organisations which are committed to the preservation of the environment and directly involved in chemicals management.

The roles of the Labour Unions are however focused mainly on the health and safety of workers.
Due to its small size, SVGdoes not have many educational programmes at the tertiary level which accommodate for studies which are related to the field of chemicals management.

There are a limited number of private laboratories and even lesser number of research institutes which have the capabilities to assess, monitor and manage chemicals.
This section also points out that presently there is no overarching chemicals’ management coordinating mechanism although there exist several important interagency/inter-sectoral institutions with very specialized focus pertaining to either a specific group of chemical or a specific issue associated with management of chemicals.
Coordination in chemicals management occurs though the existence of the Environmental Management Department and the Pharmaceutical Services Department as the overarching inter-ministerial commissions.
The effectiveness of these institutions in coordinating chemical management is limited to their area of responsibilities, often with limited focus and other Information on the chemical production, import, export, storage, transport and use in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, is provided in Chapter 3 of the report and establishes the linkages with the general information provided in Chapter 1, showing that the production and export of chemicals are primarily linked to the agriculture sector.
The chapter also provided a summary of the chemical waste situation in the country.

In the country there is very limited data existing on the quantities of waste generated.

The national landfills receive some waste chemicals and the types and quantities received in 2013 and 2014 are provided.

These statistics show that significant quantities of chemical waste go unaccounted and this is attributed to the poor waste chemical management system in the country.
Chapter 4 dealt with data access and use and provides an overview of the availability of data for chemicals management and the related infrastructure in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

It also provides a brief analysis of how information is used for national and local chemical risk reduction.

Information is available for agricultural chemicals but there is a definite lack of data on consumer chemicals and chemical waste.

However, data access based on the available data is extremely difficult.
The data is scattered and not kept in a central location with ease of accessibility.

Data is being received and collected but it is not being compiled and analysed and in some instances gaps exist in the data collection.

There is a need to coordinate and systemize this available information and data in such a way that it is user 5 friendly, accessible and compatible with all or most systems available with the government public service.
Chapter 5 deals with the technical infrastructure and provides an overview of the facilities available in the country to support programmes and policies for the integrated management of chemicals is examined.

This report provides a rapid assessment of existing capabilities in country including some of the major ones that are present in the private sector.
This chapter indicates that in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, there are limited financial resources and technical equipment available to carry out tailored laboratory analysis in the country.

The Government of SVGrecognises the importance of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and the basis it provides for the development of every modern and progressive society and allows for incorporation into the global information economy.
The non-ICT sectors which utilize ICT include the judicial system, financial sector, agriculture sector, health sector and the educational sector.

Some of the major objectives outlined by the national ICT Strategy and Action Plan of SVGwas also outlined.

Chapter 6 addresses the situation of chemical emergency preparedness, response and follow up.

SVG has a Draft National Oil Spill Contingency Plan (1989) and a National Health Disaster Plan (2011).
These Plans are as a result of the mandates laid out by the National Emergency and Disaster Management Act No.

15 of 2006 for the preparedness and responses to hazards.

The National Health Disaster Plan caters for a variety of hazards including those of a chemical nature.

The National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) is the designated authority responsible for the coordination of national activities related to such activities.
It should be noted that other Ministerial organisations are putting mechanisms in place to deal with disaster preparedness in the country.

Chapter 7 deals with the awareness/understanding of workers and the public and attempts to give an overview of the mechanisms available to provide information to workers and to the public concerning the potential risks associated with chemical production, import, export, handling, use and disposal.
This chapter also summarizes programmes, and related activities designed to sensitize the populace as it relates to chemical management.

The chapter points out that there are initiatives in SVG by private and Governmental organisations which provide information to workers and to the public concerning the potential risks associated with chemicals.

It indicates that SVGhas implemented programmes with regards to occupational health and safety and the dissemination of information to their workers.
Additionally, the country has also ratified a number of ILO conventions related to Occupational Health and Safety.

According to the workshop report on the Sound Management of Chemicals (SAICM), there is still a need for public awareness and education and training.

NEMO also shares some of the 6 responsibility to sensitise the public to disasters that may strike and how best to prepare for them.
Many developing countries and those in economic transition benefit from multilateral and bilateral assistance activities related to the management of chemicals.

These include development assistance and technical cooperation with the UN agencies such as FAO, ILO, UNEP, UNIDO, UNITAR, WHO, and UNDP, as well as capacity building projects with GEF and bilateral donors.

In many cases more than one funding agency may be involved.
It is difficult to precisely identify human resources that are available to the Government of SVGdirected towards chemical management.

The difficulty lies in that chemicals management related issues may be dealt as one of the many responsibilities assigned to an individual or a set of individuals within an institution beside many other responsibilities.

Chemicals management related responsibilities are dispersed among several ministries and their corresponding institutions.
Aside from staff of there are a few individuals that are specifically dedicated to chemicals management related issues in the public service.

A National Assessment which identifies the specific needs of each Ministry/Agency is required.

SVGhas limited tertiary level offerings that educate on various aspects of chemical management and as such outsourcing of expertise is common practice.

Training through professional development activities such as workshops and conferences also occurs.
As such, although there is some chemicals management expertise present within these institutions, there is still a need for their capacities to be built and strengthened.

This strengthening would include increasing overall staff complements by hiring persons with chemicals management expertise, as well as upgrading the skills of existing staff.

The assessment highlights deficiencies in discussing the availability of chemicals management in SVG.
The first of these is the limited expertise specifically focused on the sound management of chemicals.

Although a number of Ministries, Departments and other bodies have professional staff with some level of qualification in the area of chemicals management, they are posted in positions where very little opportunities exist for them to apply the knowledge and training they have obtained.
Additionally, the information available indicates that there is some capacity contained within the institutions to fulfil some of the responsibilities related to chemicals management.
From a national perspective however, there is need for institutional strengthening of existing facilities primarily the Environmental Management Department and the Labour Department among others and provide for the establishment of a national coordinating mechanism that will allow for greater communication and more effective and 7 efficient pooling of existing resources (equipment and personnel) for integrated chemicals management purposes.
While opportunities exist for the more efficient use of the available resources through a coordinating mechanism, there is an overwhelming need for more comprehensive training and additional personnel to enable the primary institutions to better carry out their relevant duties related to the integrated management of chemicals.

Training requirements, including the training of analytical chemists, laboratory technicians and enforcement officers, need to be identified and prioritized.
Regardless of the strategy used, input from all stakeholders will be needed to ensure that the strategy is sustainable and a more detailed skill assessment for chemicals management will be needed to determine what skill sets are absent or deficient and to devise strategies to obtain the necessary skills.
Chapter 8 provides information on co-operation and involvement with international organizations, bodies and agreements and identifies those stakeholders in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, both within and outside of Government, who have linkages with international organizations or who participate in international agreements concerned with the management of chemicals.
Such linkages would offer possibilities for stakeholders to access technical assistance, information and potential funding that would be of benefit to SVGchemical management plans and activities.

This section indicates that a number of organizations and agencies in SVGhas established working relations and linkages to regional and international bodies which are concerned with various aspects of the sound management of chemicals.
There has been varied level of participation in these international organizations, bodies and agreements with certain focal points being more active than others.
Two of the major challenges always encountered by small developing countries or countries with economies in transition are that often there is a single individual who may be the focal point for several international and regional organizations; and there is a very small pool of resource personnel and this restricts the required level of attention and follow up.

8 Chapter 9 provides information on the available data for chemicals management in some of the Ministries/Departments/Agencies in the country.
Additionally, the deficiencies which exist in the Institutional and Administrative framework of chemical management in SVGwere also mentioned.

In this Chapter data specific to the following aspects were either not forthcoming or outdated:  Available resources in the Government Ministries and Institutions  Resources needed by the Government Institutions of SVGto fulfil responsibilities related to Chemical Management  Resources Available in Nongovernmental Organisations were unavailable.
The Customs Department can provide technical support in the storage of dangerous goods.

The Bureau of Standards and the Central Water and Sewerage Authority with their laboratory personnel can assist in carrying out exposure assessment and monitoring.

The support of the Fire Department can be sought, as one of their roles is that of a first responder.
The sound management of chemicals also requires the right professional disciplines such as chemistry, toxicology, environmental sciences, environmental engineering, occupational hygiene, and chemical engineering.

Training and skill development is essential, both technically and scientifically.

Exchanges can be sort with other countries of the regions to assist in such development.
However, the recruitment of capable staff in the following specific areas are required:  Regulation and policy development  Coordination/project management  Management of information on chemicals and chemical waste  Designing and implementing procedures and tools for managing chemicals  Chemical waste, in particular, storage, transportation and disposal of hazardous chemicals Chapter 10 gives a summary of the current situation of chemicals management within the country as well as summarizes the properties, and recommendations for action, considered most important.
The report shows that St. Vincent and the Grenadines does have a basic foundation for the management of chemicals in the country which needs to be broadened (to include the management of other chemicals; namely the non-agrichemicals) and strengthened to ensure their entire life cycles are considered.

This report revealed the primary areas which need to be focused in order to achieve a state in which chemicals are managed comprehensively.
These include legislative reform, setting up of a National Committee for chemicals management, chemical inventory and database development, increased infrastructural capacity and increased public awareness, training, and research and development.

The success of managing chemicals in SVG requires cooperation at many different levels ranging from the communities to the decision makers to the politicians.

9 The issue of inadequate financial and technical support creates a barrier for progress.
However, with the continued intervention of international support, SVG’s progress towards the sound management of chemicals will continue to grow.
10 Glossary of Terms Pesticides Fertilizers Production chemicals Hazard Hazardous materials Party General waste Liquid waste Special waste 11 scale inhibitors, phosphorus, Any substance which by itself, or in combination with other substances, is proposed, represented, or used for destroying or controlling pests but does not include any antiseptic, disinfectant, drug or preservative.
Any product containing three basic plant and nutrients (nitrogen, potassium) and micronutrients, is proposed or used for making soil more fertile Chemicals used in the petroleum industry to enhance oil recovery, maximize production, processing and transporting of petroleum and petroleum products.

These include corrosion asphaltene inhibitors, inhibitors, biocides, demulsifies, scavengers, surfactants, and others.
Any source of potential damage, harm or adverse health effects on something or someone under certain conditions at work.

Waste that is dangerous or potentially harmful to our health or the environment.

Hazardous wastes can be liquids, solids, gases, or sludges.

They can be discarded commercial products, like cleaning fluids or pesticides, or the by-products of manufacturing processes.
A State or regional economic integration organization that has consented to be bound by a Convention and for which the Convention is in force Commercial, domestic or yard waste generated from normal, day-to-day operations.

It poses little or no threat to its handlers or the environment.

Any waste in the liquid state of matter.

It includes industrial waste such as by-products from food-processing and production plants, municipal waste, chemical by-products, agricultural waste and wastewater.
Termed due to the handling and disposal processes that it requires.

This waste type may be injurious to the population and environment, and can range from tyres and condemned foods, to asbestos and industrial Chemicals waste from processing plants.

Special Waste is generated mainly by industries.


used in a broad sense to include pesticides, fertilizers and other agricultural chemicals, chemicals used in industrial processes, petroleum products, chemicals marketed for consumer usage, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food additives, chemicals of natural organic and biological origin as well as unintended chemicals such as produced in combustion processes, appearing in food residue, biota and consumer goods.
Industrial chemicals produce a broad range of formulations that are used by industry or Chemicals that are used by industry to articles, products and the public.

These includebut not limited to organic and inorganic chemicals.
12 List of Acronyms BCRC-Caribbean BGA CARDI CARPHA CHIP CWASA CBOs CCA CDERA Agency CDM CEHI CERMES CFCs CROSQ Standards and Quality CSD CSDU Development Unit ECLAC and the ECOSOC ECTAD EMD FAO United Nations FPU GDP GEF GFDRR GHS GINC GLP IAG IARC Cancer 13 Basel Convention Regional Centre for Training and Technology transfer for the Caribbean Region Banana Growers Association Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute Caribbean Public Health Agency Chemical Hazard Information Programme Central Water and Sewerage Authority Community Based Organizations Clean Caribbean and Americas Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Comprehensive Disaster Management Caribbean Environmental Health Institute Centre for Resources Management and Environmental Studies Chlorofluorocarbons CARICOM Regional Organisation for Commission on Sustainable Development Conservation and Sustainable Economic Commissions for Latin America Caribbean Economic and Social Council Eastern Caribbean Trading Agriculture and Development Organisation Environmental Management Department Food and Agricultural Organisation of the Family Planning Unit Gross Domestic Product Global Environment Facility Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals Global Information Network on Chemicals Good Laboratory Practice International Analytical Group International Agency for Research in ICS ICT Technology IMO INTERDEP/ENV IPCS IFCS ILO ISIC Classification MAFF Fisheries MDGS MEAs MEAU MSDS NCP NEMO NGOs NHSSP NIS NRSP ICCM ICTs Technologies IFCS IICA on Agriculture IOMC Sound Incident Command System Information and Communication International Maritime Organisation Interdepartmental Project on Environment and the World of Work International Programme on Chemical Safety International Forum on Chemical Safety International Labour Organisation International Standard Industrial Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Millennium Development Goals Multilateral Environmental Agreements
 Multilateral Environmental Agreement Unit Material Safety Data Sheets National Chemical Profile National Emergency Management Organisation Non-Governmental Organizations National Health Sector Strategic Plan National Insurance Scheme Natural Resources Systems Programme International Conference on Chemicals Management Information and Communication International Forum on Chemical Safety Inter-American Institute for Cooperation Inter-Organization Programme for the Management of Chemicals Ministry of Health Wellness and the MOHWE Environment MOU OAS OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development OECS PAHO PCBs Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Pan-American Health Organisation Polychlorinated Biphenyls Memorandum of Understanding Organisation of American States 14 Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control Persistent Organic Pollutants Prior Informed Consent Quick Start Programme Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of chemicals Strategic Approach to International Chemical Management Strengthening Agricultural Quarantine Services in the Caribbean Small Island Developing States St. Vincent Employers’ Federation St. Vincent and the Grenadines St. Vincent and the Grenadines Chamber of Industryand Commerce St. Vincent and the GrenadinesCoalition of Services Industries Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Public Service Union Solid Waste Management Unit United Nations Convention on Biological United Nations Convention to Combat United Nations Conference on Environment and Development United Nations Development Programme United Nations Environmental Programme United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change United Nations Industrial Development Organisation United Nations Institute for Training and Vector Control Unit St. Vincent Electricity Services Limited Windward Islands Banana Development and Exporting Company World Summit on Sustainable PTCCB Board POPs PIC QSP REACH SAICM SAQS SIDS SVEF SVG SVGCIC SVGCSI SVGPSU SWMU UNCBD Diversity UNCCD
 Desertification UNCED UNDP UNEP UNFCCC UNIDO UNITAR Research VCU VINLEC WIBDECO WSSD Development 15 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction Chapter 1: National Information Overview 1.1 6 Geographic Context 6 1.2 Demographic Context 1.3 Political Structure of St. Vincent and the Grenadines 11 1.4 Industrial, Agricultural and other key Economic Sectors 16 1.5 Release of Concerns by Economic Sectors 19 1.6 Assessment 1 9 21 Chapter 2: Legal and Institutional Capacity for Chemicals Management 2.1 Overview of Legal Instruments which addresses the Management of Chemicals 2.2 Non-Regulatory Mechanisms for Managing Chemicals 23 23 2.3 Ministries, Agencies and other Governmental Institutions 31 31 2.4 Interministerial Commissions and Coordinating Mechanisms 36 2.5 Description of Non-governmental Organisations/Programmes 2.6 Summary of Agencies with responsibility for Key Administrative Procedures for Chemical Control 2.7 Assessment 37 Chapter 3: Chemical Production, Import, Export, Storage, Transportation, Use and Disposal 3.1 Background 3.2 Chemical Production, Import and Export 41 41 44 44 44 3.3 Chemical Use by Categories 47 3.4 Storage of Chemicals and Related Issues 52 3.5 Transport of Chemicals and Related Issues 52 16 3.6 Chemicals and Waste Management 3.7 Unintentionally Generated Chemicals 53 56 3.8 Assessment 57 Chapter 4: Data Viability for Chemicals Management 59 4.1 Overall Availability of Data for National Chemicals Management 4.2 Sources of National Data, Access and Format 60 59 4.3 Procedures for Collecting and Disseminating National/Local Data 4.4 Availability of International Literature and Database 62 4.5 National Information Exchange Systems and IT Capacity 61 4.6 Assessment 64 64 17 Chapter 5: Infrastructural Capability for Managing Chemicals 5.1 Overview of Laboratory Capacity 66 5.2 Information Systems and Computer Capabilities 66 5.3 Assessment 68 Chapter 6: Emergency Preparedness, Response and Follow-up 70 6.1 Chemical Emergency Planning 70 6.2 Chemical
 Incident Response 71 6.3 Chemical Incident Follow-up and Evaluation 72 6.4 Assessment 69 73 Chapter 7: Chemical Awareness and Understanding 74 7.1: Awareness and Understanding of Chemical Safety Issues 74 7.2 Education and Training for Sound Management of Chemicals and Waste 7.3 Assessment 75 75 Chapter 8: International Linkages 77 8.1 Cooperation and Involvement with International Organisations, Bodies and Agreements 8.2 Participation in Relevant Development and Technical Assistance Projects 8.3 Assessment 80 81 77 Chapter 9: Availability of Resources for Chemical Management 83 9.1 Resources available in Government Ministries/Institutions for chemicals management 9.2 Resources needed by Government Institutions to fulfil responsibilities related to chemicals 9.3 Resources available in Nongovernment Institutions for Chemicals Management 84 83 84 18 9.4 Resources from Development Assistance Activities 85 9.5 Assessment Chapter 10: Conclusions and Recommendations 10.1 Chemicals Management situations in SVG 88 88 10.2 Recommendations References 86 90 93 19 ANNEX Annex I: Data required to update the National Chemical Profile for SVG Annex II: Participation of Ministries, Organisations and other Stakeholders Annex III: Overview of Legislation governing Chemicals Management in SVG Annex IV: SVG’s Import and Export for 2012-2013 104 108 95 114 20 LIST OF TABLES Table 1-1: Overview of National Economic Sectors 17 Table 1-2: Structure of the Major Economic Sectors by size 18 Table 1-3: Releases by Source and Intervening Ministry / Agency 19 Table 1-4: Releases by Type, Level of Concern and Available Statistical Data Table 2-1: Overview of all existing Legislation addressing the Management of Chemicals 23 20 Table 2-2: International Conventions and Ratifications Status for St. Vincent and the Grenadines Table 2-3: Overview of Legal Instruments to Manage Chemicals 28 42 Table 3-1: Chemical Production, Import and Export for St. Vincent and the Grenadines(2012) Table 3-2:
 Chemicals comprising each category in SVG using Trademap (2012) Table 3-3: Chemical Products Use by Type and Industry during 2011 46 45 48 Table 3-4: Chemical Use by Economic Activity in SVG during 2011 49 Table 3-5: Fuel Consumption in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (2009) Table 3-6: Types of Chemical Waste Generated and Probable Sources 52 Table 3-7: Import of Waste Chemicals into SVG(2011) 54 54 Table 3-8: Facilities for Recovery and Recycling of Chemicals and related waste Table 3-9: Sources of unintentional emissions in SVG 56 Table 4-1: Sufficiency in Quality and Quantity of Available Information Table 4-2: Sources of National Data and their Access and Format 59 57 Table 4-3: Availability of International Literature 60 62 Table 4-4: Availability of International Databases 63 Table 5-1: Overview of the Laboratory Infrastructure for Regulatory Chemical Analysis 66 21 Table 5-2: Overview of the Laboratory Infrastructure for Monitoring and Analysis 67 Table 8-1: Membership in International Organisations, Programmes, and Bodies 77 Table 8-2: Participation in International Agreements/Procedures Related to Chemicals Management Table 8-3: Participation as Recipient in Relevant Technical Assistance Projects Table 9-1: Resources Available in Government Ministries/Institutions 80 84 Table 9-2: Resources Available through Development Assistance and Technical Cooperation Activities 78 86 22 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1-1: Location of St. Vincent and the Grenadines 7 Figure 1-2: Population pyramid for St. Vincent and the Grenadines 10 Figure 1-3 Administrative Regions of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Figure 1-4: Percentage Distribution of ethnicities in St. Vincent and 16 the Grenadines 13 Figure 1-5: GDP Distribution for the Economic Sectors in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (2012) 22 Figure 3-1: The cost of quantities of chemicals imported into SVG (2011) Figure 6-1: Emergencies Responses based on graduated Chemical Spills Scenarios 47 71 23 Introduction 1.
Context and General Vision The chemical industry is one of the largest and most important industries worldwide as chemicals are required for use in all aspects of life.

Chemicals include both artificial and natural substances and for the purpose of this document,theyare defined according to the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) definitions.
Chemical is used in a broad sense to include pesticides, fertilizers and other agricultural chemicals, chemicals used in industrial processes, petroleum products, chemicals marketed for consumer usage, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food additives, chemicals of natural organic and biological origin as well as unintended chemicals such as those produced in combustion processes, appearing in food residue, biota and consumer goods (UNITAR, 2012).
For the purpose of this report, chemicals refer to the range of chemicals classified as agro- chemicals (including pesticides and fertilisers) and consumer chemicals (including perfumes, essential oils, soaps and lubricants).

SVG does not have an energy sector in terms of production of crude oil, natural gas or petrochemicals, hence the industrial chemicals used would be limited to the agriculture and manufacturing sectors.

Chemicals are a significant contributor to our economies.
Sound chemical management across the lifecycle of a chemical, from extraction or production to disposal is therefore essential to avoid risks to human health and the environment.

An important phase in strengthening of national systems for handling chemicals is the preparation of a national chemical profile.
The national chemical profile involves an assessment of the national infrastructure and capacity related to the legal, institutional, administrative and technical aspects of chemical management, the nature and extent of chemical availability and use in the country, analysis of the country’s gaps and needs for chemical management, and prioritizing and outlining associated proposals for action.
The National Chemical Profile provides a nationally recognized information base for chemicals that can be used to measure progress made in the fulfilment of meeting specific national andinternational targets.
The International Policy Framework for the sound management of chemicals is administered via Agenda 21, International Forum on Chemical Safety (IFCS), the Strategic Approach to International Chemical Management (SAICM, Dubai 2006), as well as the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD, Johannesburg 2002) goal of sound management of chemicals by 2020 and United Nations 2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as they relate to achieving environmental sustainability (UNITAR, 2012).

2.
2.

Background on the Framework for International Policy 24 Agenda 21 and Chemical Safety International initiatives addressing chemicals came to the forefront as a result of the ”Rio Conference”, formally known as the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) 1992.

The Agenda 21, a product from the Conference is a non-binding, voluntarily implemented action plan of the United Nations with regard to sustainable development.
Chapter 19 of Agenda 21 entitled “Environmentally Sound Management of Toxic Chemicals” provides an international strategy for achieving the sound management of chemicals through their life cycle, a goal to which all countries present at the UNCED agreed.
Intergovernmental Forum on Chemicals Safety (IFCS) The IFCS was established in 1994 as a means for countries to regularly discuss their activities and priorities for the sound management of chemicals, including progress made in implementing Chapter 19 of Agenda 21.
TheIFCS is a flexible, open and transparent brainstorming and bridge- building forum comprising of governments, international, regional and national organizations, industry groups, public interest associations, labour organizations, scientific associations and representatives of civil society.

Meetings are held approximately every three years to build partnerships, provide advice and guidance, make recommendations and monitor progress on the safe use of chemicals.
World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) The 2002 WSSD held in Johannesburg, South Africa reaffirmed sustainable development as a central component of the international agenda.

A wide range of targets and concrete commitments for action to implement sustainable development objectives were agreed upon by governments.

A Plan of Implementation was adopted to embrace a number of new commitments related to chemicals and waste management.
These included:   to renew commitment (as stated in Agenda 21) to the sound management of chemicals throughout their life cycle and to protect human health and the environment from significant adverse effects; to renew commitment, as stated in Agenda 21, to sound management of chemicals throughout their life cycle and of hazardous wastes for sustainabledevelopment as well as for the protection of human health and the environment, inter alia, aiming to achieve, by 2020, that chemicals are used and produced in ways that lead to the minimisation of significant adverse effects on human health and the environment; 25     to promote the ratification and implementation of relevant international instruments on chemicals and hazardous waste; to further develop a strategic approach to international chemicals management based on the Bahia Declaration and Priorities for Action beyond 2000 of the IFCS; to encourage partnerships to promote activities aimed at enhancing environmentally sound management of chemicals and hazardous wastes; toachieve sound management of chemicals, with particular focus on hazardous chemicals and wastes.
Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) The SAICM is a policy framework adapted by the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM) in 2006 to promote chemical safety around the world.

It comprises the Dubai Declaration – expressing high-level political commitment to SAICM and an Overarching Policy Strategy which sets out its scope, needs, objectives, financial considerations, underlying principles and approaches, and implementation and review arrangements.
SAICM was developed by a multi-stakeholder and multi-sectoral Preparatory Committee and supports the achievement of the goal agreed at the WSSD in Johannesburg 2002, ensuring that by the year 2020 chemicals are produced and used in ways that minimize significant adverse impacts on the environment and human health.

United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) The United Nations MDGs relates to achieving environmental sustainability.
This would involve a reduction in exposure to toxic chemicals and the improvement in frameworks for chemicals management.The preparation of a National Profile could serve as a useful tool in this context by providing a comprehensive picture of the national infrastructure and capacity in which chemicals-related international agreements would be implemented.

Policy Instruments Additionally, several international policy instruments have been adopted to address specific areas of chemical management.
These include:  UNEP London Guidelines for the Exchange of Information on Chemicals in International Trade (as amended in 1989);  FAO International Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides (as revised in 2002); 26        ILO Convention (No.

170) Concerning Safety in the Use of Chemicals at Work (1990); ILO Convention (No.

174) Concerning the Prevention of Major Industrial Accidents (1993); Vienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.
(signed 1985 and entered into force on 22 September 1988); Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal (signed 1989 and entered into force on 5 May 1992); Paris Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and Their Destruction – Chemical Weapons Convention (signed 1993 and entered into force on 29 April 1997); Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade (signed 1998 and entered into force on 24 February 2004); Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) (signed 2001 and entered into force on 17 May 2004);  Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) (adopted in December 2002 and endorsed by ECOSOC in July 2003), which is a voluntary agreement rather than a multilateral convention.


 3.

National Policy Framework Agenda 21, formulated under the 1992 Rio Earth Summit sponsored by the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), requested inter alia that the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and a number of its members’ countries make a direct contribution in its implementation of the Interdepartmental Project on Environment and the World of Work (INTERDEP/ENV).
There is no comprehensive national policy on chemical management in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) apart from the recently drafted Chemical Management Policy (2013).

This policy identifies an appropriate national goal for chemicals management, and defines objectives and policies in respect of the sectors for which regulatory control is considered to be required.
Additionally,there are four levels of regulatory management which are focused upon: import/export/re-export, handling and transport, operation and treatment and disposal.

The Country has a number of obligations under both international and regional agreements concerning chemical management, but to date has not been able to articulate a national policy that would address these various obligations.
This has resulted in a number of issues including:   inaccessibility of resources that may be available (financial and technical) under some of these international agreements; fragmented and un-coordinated approach to chemical management; 27   the policy directorate showing limited will and commitment for chemicals management; lack of a clear policy for treatment of human health from exposure to chemicals and related substances.
This document entitled “National Chemical Profile for Chemicals Management 2015” represents an update to the draft National Chemical Management Profile of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

This was triggered by the updated guidance document issued by UNITAR for preparing a NCP to assess infrastructure and capacity needs for chemicals management.

4.
4.

Aim, Objectives and Benefits of the National Chemical Profile The overall aim of the NCP for SVG is to strengthen the national chemicals management system whilst facilitating important national economic and trade intentions.
The aim can be achieved by focusing on the following objectives:    to encourage collaboration between government and stakeholders towards understanding and identifying priority needs for SAICM implementation to set the stage for preparation of a SAICM Implementation Plan; to provide practical information on ongoing programmes and activities in the country which are concerned with the management of chemicals throughout their life cycle; to establish a system to facilitate the exchange of information and dialogue among government ministries and authorities at national, regional, and local levels, concerned with the sound management of chemicals.
The benefits created by the NCP are as follows:  a greater understanding of the potential risks associated with the production, use and disposal of chemicals at a national level and improved knowledge of reducing these risks to promote improved human health and environmental protection; increased awareness of chemical risks as well as an understanding of the potential benefits of chemicals management via the introduction of safe systems of work to ensure safe industrialization and sustainable development and growth;   establishment of a national dialogue on chemicals safety/management involving all concerned parties and sectors of society to encourage and facilitate trade in chemicals, and agricultural, domestic, and industrial products which rely on chemicals; to ensure that chemicals produced, imported, and exported are supporting economic goals and are not creating economic burdens through health, environmental, and safety problems.
 5.

Preparation of National Chemical Profile 28 The National Chemical Profile for SVG was updated in a collaborative and comprehensive manner, ensuring data accuracy where data were readily available, and transparency.

The existing draft National Chemical ManagementProfile (2013as reviewed and the document was updated based on the guidance document entitled “Preparing a National Profile to Assess Infrastructure and Capacity Needs for Chemical Management” (UNITAR, 2012).
Information gaps and obsolete data were identified.

An introductory sub-Regional stakeholder workshop on Industrial Chemicals under the Rotterdam Convention was held on 8th-10th October 2014 in Trinidad, coordinated by the Basel Convention Regional Centre for Training and Technology transfer for the Caribbean Region (BCRC-Caribbean).
This workshop raised awareness among decision makers in the relevant Ministries and Agencies and encouraged the collection of new data required for the update of the National Chemical Profile.

Data were collected by formally requesting information from the necessary stakeholders involved with chemicals, from production to disposal, on conducting a detailed gap analysis of the existing National Chemical Profile.
Response forms mainly in the form of tables (Annex I) were given to the stakeholders to fill in and the information collected was used to compile a report outlining the current status on chemicals management for SVG.
This information was used to update the National Chemical Profile for SVG entitled “National Chemical Profile for Chemicals Management, St. Vincent and the Grenadines 2015.” An overview of the participation and contribution from ministries, private sector organisations and other stakeholders for the completion of this project can be viewed in Annex II.

In February 2015, these stakeholders were subsequently interviewed during a visit to the country in order to acquire the necessary data for this report.
The participating Ministries were the Plant Protection and Quarantine Unit of the Ministry of Agriculture, Industry, Forestry, Fisheries and Rural Transformation, the Environmental Management Department of the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment and the Statistical Office of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning.
Other participants were members from the Customs and Excise Department, Port Authority, Solid Waste Management Unit, Pharmaceutical Services and St. Vincent Electrical Services (VINLEC).
Upon completion of the National Chemical Profile update, a national follow up seminar will be to organize a National Committee that will address the Rotterdam Convention obligations on industrial chemicals and refine the national framework for the management of industrial chemicals developed at the introductory sub-regional workshop.
Chapter 1: National Information Overview 29 Location This chapter provides general background information on St. Vincent and the Grenadines highlighting the main economic sectors of the country,in particular the industrial and agricultural industries.

1.1 Geographic Context 1.1.1 St.Vincent and the Grenadines is an archipelagic State in the Eastern Caribbean, at the southern end of the Windward Islands (Figure 1-1).
The country is comprised of a main island, St. Vincent, and a chain of 32 islands and cays, the Grenadines, of which only seven are inhabited – Bequia, Mustique, Canouan, Mayreau, Union Island, Palm Island and Petit St. Vincent.

The total area of the country is 150 square miles (389 km 2) with the main island comprising 133 square miles (344 km2).
The country lies approximately 61° west and 13° north, and approximately 415 miles (667 km) north of Venezuela and 109 miles (175 km) east of Barbados (National Economic and Social Development Plan, 2013-2025).
30 (Source: www.worldatlas.com) Figure 1-1: Location of St. Vincent and the Grenadines 31 1.1.1 Climate St.Vincent and the Grenadines has a tropical marine climate consisting of two major seasons; a wet (rainy) season and dry season which occur during the periods June to December and January to May respectively.

Temperatures experienced range between 18°C and 33°C with an annual average temperature of 27°C.
The islands receive an annual average rainfall which varies from 200cm (80 inches) along the coast to 380cm (150 inches) in the interior.

The Grenadines however receive significantly less rainfall, averaging 46cm (18 inches) annually (St. Vincent and the Grenadines Online, 2015).

1.1.2 Terrain and Elevation Extremes St. Vincent and the Grenadines is a mountainous landmass formed from volcanic deposit during the Miocene period as a result of two major volcanic eruptions.
St. Vincent is defined by a rugged mountainous terrain with valleys which drains to the coastal areas, forests and numerous rivers (MHE, 2000).

The highest point on the island is located on the peak of La Soufriere, an active volcano measuring 1234m.
Other notable height extremes includeMorneGaru mountain range (with Richmond peak at 1,077 m and Mount Brisbane at 932 m) which lies to the south of La Soufriere, Grand Bonhomme (970 m), Petit Bonhomme (756 m) and Mount St Andrew (736 m) which lie further south.
In contrast, the Grenadines have a much gentler relief, with the mountain peaks on these islands rising to 150–300m surrounded by fringing reefs (The Fourth National Biodiversity Report of St. Vincent and the Grenadines to the UNCBD, 2010) 1.1.3 Natural Hazards The La Soufriere volcano is located on the main land of St. Vincent.
This volcano is deemed active and has five recorded major eruptions during the last 300 years; 1718, 1812, 1902, 1971 and 1979 (Initial National Communication on Climate Change, 2000).

St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) is located to the south of the Atlantic Hurricane Belt and as such are occasionally impacted by tropical storms, hurricanes and heavy rainfall (Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery, 2010).

As a result of this, the country is also affected by landslide and flooding events.
The negative health threats associated with climate change and variability is of growing concern to small-island developing states such as St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

The 2010 Climate Risk Index based on 2008 figures ranked St. Vincent and the Grenadines 72nd with 0.17% Gross Domestic Product losses.
The impact of Global warming on rising sea levels increase the risk of storm surges and the strength of hurricanes experienced (Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery, 2010).In 2004, Hurricane Ivan caused damage to SVG in the form of downed trees, collapsed houses and damage to structures in close proximity to the sea.Banana crops were also negatively impacted by high winds and minor injuries to humans were also reported (Rojas, 2004).In 2009 and 2013, St. Vincent experienced major floods that 32 resulted in several deaths and adversely affected human settlements, living conditions and the national economy.
33 1.2 Demographic Context 1.2.1 Total Population The 2012 National Census of St. Vincent and the Grenadines recorded an end of year total population of approximately 110,035 persons.

In 2014, the country registered a total fertility rate of 1.84 children per woman (below the replacement rate of 2 children per woman)(CIA, 2014).

The Grenadines account for approximately 8% of the total population while another 25% reside in Kingstown, the country’s Capital city.
The labour force population within SVGwas recorded as 54, 770 persons (World Bank, 2013).

1.2.2 Age Structure and Median Age The 2012 population pyramid for St. Vincent and the Grenadines is illustrated in Figure 1-2(Statistical Office, 2012).

This pyramid is representative of a relatively stable or neutral population with an equitable gender distribution (56, 442 males / 53, 593 females) (Statistical Office, 2012).
The total age dependency ratio (children up to 14 years old and adults older than 65 years) is 48.9% which illustrates that approximately half of the population is dependent on the working class population within St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

The median age of the population of SVGis 31.3 years (Central Intelligence Agency, 2014); meaning half of the population is younger than 31.3 years whilst the other half is older.
34 (Source: Statistical Office of St. Vincent and the Grenadines 2012) Figure 1-2: Population pyramid for St. Vincent and the Grenadines 1.2.3 Life Expectancy and Birth Rate The average life expectancy at birth for citizens in St. Vincent and the Grenadinesis 74.86 years (Central Intelligence Agency, 2014).

SVG has a low crude birth rate of approximately 13.85 births per 1000 people (Central Intelligence Agency, 2014 estimate), accounting for the slow population growth of the islands.
1.2.4 Population Migration The net migration rate for SVGis approximately -9.6 migrants/1,000 population.

This rate is based on the difference between the number of persons entering and leaving a country during the year per 1,000 persons and does not distinguish between economic migrants, refugees, and other types of migrants nor does it distinguish between lawful migrants and undocumented migrants.
The rural population of SVG(percentage of the total population living in rural areas) is 50.7%, whilst the urban population (percentage of the total population living in urban areas) makes up 49.3%.

The rate of urbanization (projected average rate of change of the size of the urban population over the given period of time) is predicted at 0.78% per annum (Central Intelligence Agency, 2010-2015).

35 1.2.5 Language(s) English is the official language spoken in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
However, an English-based Vincentian dialect is also widely spoken (Discover SVG, 2009).

This dialect has French, West African, Spanish and English influences (WorldmarkEncyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life, 2007).

1.2.6 School Life Expectancy and Literacy Rate The adult literacy rate (percentage of people ages 15-24 who can, with understanding, read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life) in SVG is 96% for both males and females.
The school life expectancy (primary to tertiary) of a child in SVGis approximately 13 years for boys and 13 years for girls (Central Intelligence Agency, 2004).

School life expectancy is the total number of years of schooling (primary to tertiary) that a child can expect to receive, assuming that the probability of his or her being enrolled in school at any particular future age is equal to the current enrolment ratio at that age.
1.2.7 Employment/Unemployment Rate The rate of unemployment in St. Vincent and the Grenadinesis 18.8% (Statistical Office of SVG, 2007/2008).

This rate calculates the percentage of the labour force that is without jobs.

In 2013, the female population accounted for 41.17% of the labour force (World Bank, 2013).
In 2008, a poverty assessment of SVG conducted by Kairi Consultants Limited in association with the national assessment team of SVG reported the sluggishness in economic activity especially in manufacturing, tourism and the distributive trades, coupled with the ongoing difficulties in bananas' agriculture, contributed to some stagnation in the levels of employment.
Additionally, some members of the labour force have opted out of the formal labour market in favour of the underground economy (Kairi Consultants Limited, 2008).

1.3 Political Structure of St. Vincent and the Grenadines 1.3.1 Form and Description of Government St. Vincent and the Grenadines attained political independence from Great Britain on 27th October, 1979 and inherited a Westminster Parliamentary system of government.
Queen Elizabeth II is the Head of State and is represented by a Governor General, an office with mostly ceremonial functions.

The Prime Minister and the Cabinet has executive control of the government.

The Parliament consists of a 15-member elected House of Assembly and six appointed senators.

The Governor General appoints senators, four on the advice of the Prime Minister and two on the advice of the Leader of the Opposition.
Officially, the parliamentary term of office is 5 years, although the Prime Minister may call elections at any time (Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, 2013).

36 1.3.2 Administrative Divisions St. Vincent and the Grenadines is divided into six (6) Parishes, consisting of 11 towns/villages.

The Parishes include: St. Patrick, St. George, St. David, St. Andrew and Charlotte in St. Vincent, and the Grenadines in the Grenadines.

The capital city, Kingstown is located in the St. George Parish.
Figure 1-3 illustrates the administrative divisions in SVG.

37 (Source: www.mapsofworld.com) Figure 1-3 Administrative Regions of St. Vincent and the Grenadines 38 1.3.3 Division of Responsibilities among National, Regional and Local Government for Health and Environmental Control and Land Use for Economic Development Health Sector The Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment (MOHWE) is the national authority responsible for the overseeing of the health system in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
This Governmental body has the mandate to create policies and implement national health strategies by conducting programs and providing health services.

Primary and secondary health care services, maternal health services and children’s and family planning services are also provided.
It is essentially the only provider of preventive health services through an extensive network of health facilities (health centres and health posts) providing primary, secondary, and specialized in- patient and out-patient services.

Environmental Sector The Ministry of Health Wellness and the Environment (MOHWE) The MOHWE of St. Vincent and the Grenadines is responsible for addressing the environmental challenges faced within the country.
Some of these challenges include land degradation, poor agricultural techniques, global weather patternsand excessive use of agrochemicals (Ministry of Health Wellness and the Environment, 2013).
The Environmental Management Department (EMD) The Environmental Management Department falls under the ambit of the MOHWE and monitors, regulates, improves and maintains the environmental health of all Vincentians by promoting sound environmental health practices, reducing the incidence of vector borne diseases and through the sustainable use and management (protection, conservation, enhancement and restoration) of the natural resources of SVG, thus contributing to sustainable development.
The EMD comprises the Family Planning Unit (FPU), the Environmental Engineering Unit (EEU), the Vector Control Unit (VCU) and the Conservation and Sustainable Development Unit (CSDU) (Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, 2015).

The objectives of the EMD are:  To be a multidisciplinary unit that can effectively monitor all environmental activities nationally.

 To provide support to all other Ministries and agencies in the execution of environmental activities/projects.
 To provide technical support to sustainable development initiatives nationally.

 To coordinate local, regional and international activities relating to environmental conventions, agreements and or protocols.

 To monitor, regulate, improve, maintain and safeguard environmental health of the State.

39  To provide for expenses associated with the removal of garbage and upkeep of public latrines/toilets and baths.
 To provide for Staffing and Operational expenses in relation to the schemes for Vector Control in the State.

Land Use for Economic Development The Physical Planning Unit of the Ministry of Housing, Informal Human Settlements, Land & Surveys and Physical Planning is responsible for the implementation of the Town and Country Planning Act and its various regulations.
The Act seeks to ensure orderly and progressive physical development in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, in two main ways:  Development control i.e.

the granting of planning permission for development  Development planning i.e.

the preparation of Land Use Plans.

In addition to its regulatory role, the Physical Planning Unit is also cognizant of its role in facilitating national development.

The Unit recently assumed responsibility for the development of a National Geographic Information System.
This includes the mapping of all spatial data including buildings and roads and other related data such as census data, in order to better understand their relationship.

This information platform is expected to provide integrated spatial data which would guide policy and decision making with respect to land use and development activities.

1.3.4 Ethnic Groups St. Vincent and the Grenadines is a multicultural society comprising of a variety of ethnicities.
The majority of the populationis African because they are the descendants of African Slaves who were brought to the island to work on the plantations.

White descendants of European colonists, Caribs, Indians and citizens of mixed races are also present.

Figure 1-4 illustrates the diversity of ethnic groups within the country.
(Source: Central Intelligence Agency, 2014) Figure 1-4: Percentage Distribution of ethnicities in St. Vincent and the Grenadines 1.4 Industrial, Agricultural and other key Economic Sectors The National Report for St. Vincent and the Grenadines 2013 states that the agriculture sector which has been the major support for the St. Vincent and the Grenadines economy has experienced a significant decline within the last decade.
Despite this, the agriculture sector remains vital in ensuring food security and maintaining international trade.

The manufacturing sector of SVG has been constrained by size, finance and management.

The Government’s response included the reviews of plans in order to attract investment and diversify the sector.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines has seen an increase in the dependency on the tourism sector for revenue.
The construction of an international airport coupled with the expansion of the 40 nation’s major hotels have contributed to the growth of this sector within recent years.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines does not manufacture any chemicals, and as such, its economy is heavily dependent on the importation of such substances.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines is therefore indirectly affected by changes in the international petroleum market and fluctuations in prices of oil.
The Government has initiated measures to explore alternative or non- oil energy sources.

Currently 20% of the electricity generated originates from hydropower.

This however varies significantly during the dry season when the availability of water is limited.

Renewable energy sources such as geothermal energy are also being explored.

The economy of SVG is inherent of its characteristic as a Small Island Developing State (SIDS).
As a member of the SIDS, the country struggles to attract foreign investment.

Additionally, factors including the small size of the domestic markets, limited natural and human resources and restrictive international markets have contributed to the country’s slow economic development.

Nonetheless, SVG experienced a growth in its economy at a rate of 0.8% per annum over the past three years.
Tables 1-1 and 1-2 provide a summary of the relative importance of the main economic sectors in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Table 1-1: Overview of National Economic Sectors National Economic Sectors Economic Sub-sectors Contribution to GDP* (%) 2012 Agriculture, Hunting, Livestock and Forestry Fishing Mining and Quarrying Manufacturing Electricity and Water Construction Wholesale & Retail Trade Hotels and Restaurants Transport, Storage and Communication 41 6.71 0.43 0.15 4.97 4.11 8.34 14.16 2.65 13.66 Crops (Banana, Other crops) Livestock Forestry - - - Electricity Gas Water - - Hotels Restaurants Transport and Storage Road Sea Air National Economic Sectors Economic Sub-sectors Contribution to GDP* (%) 2012 Financial Intermediation Real Estate, Renting and Business Activities Supporting and auxiliary transport activities Communication Banks and other financial institutions Insurance and pension funding Activities auxiliary to financial intermediation Owner occupied dwellings Real estate activities Renting of machinery and equipment Computer and related activities Business services Public Administration, Defence and Compulsory Social Security Education Health and Social Work Other Community, Social and Personal Activities Private Household with Employed persons - - - Total 6.24 14.96 11.82 5.99 3.26 2.26 0.29 100 (Sourcs: Statistical Office of SVG 2012) *Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Table 1-2: Structure of the Major Economic Sectors by size (According to number of employees) Economic Sectors Facilities (> 250 employees) Manufacturing Agriculture and related activities Construction Tourism 42 2, 183 5, 000 6, 600 3, 000 Financial Retail and Wholesale 1, 239 6, 500 Government Other Services Personal Services (Sources: 2010 Labour Market Report, MSME (2009) and Enterprise survey (Adjusted workforce not in NIS)) 13, 228 11, 250 2,640 43 1.5 Releases of Concern by Economic Sectors Tables 1-3 and 1-4 give an overview of the releases of concern in St. Vincent and the Grenadines related to the Ministries / Agencies within the Government, levels of concern and data availability.
Table 1-3: Releases by Source and Intervening Ministry / Agency Nature of Problem City/Region Brief Description of Problem Sewage/Wast e water discharge from commercial and industrial enterprises This problem was identified to be taking place in both the urban and rural areas Transportatio n Motor- vehicle exhaust emissions This problem predominates in cities.
Extremely high motor vehicle density Indiscriminat e motor vehicle washing in the rivers Indiscriminate car washing is mostly urban Mainly urban Indiscriminat e disposal of litter and 44 Discharges from homes Waste water discharge from restaurants and bars without interceptors Water discharge with colourants from manufacturers find its way to the marine environment Motor vehicles are allowed to with drive exhaust emitting gaseous fumes as a result of inadequate engine servicing Washing of motor vehicles in rivers and streams releases chemicals and other materials in the water ways Common practice littering of of Chemical(s) /Pollutant(s) suspects Nitrates and phosphates Oils, fats and grease Organics Intervening Agency/ Monitoring Environment al Heath Unit/Engineer ing Section Dust, particulates, emission containing PAH ( poly aromatic hydrocarbons,) Police/ Ministry of Transportatio n/ Environment al Health Unit Release of engine oils containing varying levels of poly aromatic hydrocarbons, lead and other materials Many contain some heavy metals; Police/ Environment al Health Unit CWASA/SWM U City/Region Brief Description of Problem house waste; the taking from waste home and deliberate dumping gullies in Mainly urban Abandoned Mainly urban Nature of Problem solid waste Derelict vehicles Inadequate management of pesticides/ chemicals Intervening Agency/ Monitoring Chemical(s) /Pollutant(s) suspects Volatile organics, Phalates, etc Heavy metal, plastics, engine oils, lubricants.
Pesticides of all types CWASA/SWM U Pesticide Control Authority/ Environment al Health Unit Chemicals of all types CWASA/SWM U Environment al Health Unit vehiclesin indiscriminate locations.
Inadequate storage at port, use and miss- use on the farm, industries, inexperience handling, inadequate transportation and indiscriminate disposal result spillages, injuries humans, accidents, and exposure Out of chemicals/out dated chemicals including pharmaceutical s stored in at schools, and homes, industrial sites use – in to Spent and out of date chemicals Nationwide (Source: Government of SVG, 2013.)
45 Table 1-4 gives an overview of the releases of concern within St. Vincent and the Grenadines and their severities and the statistical data available for each.
Table 1-4: Releases by Type, Level of Concern and Available Statistical Data Nature of Problem Scale of Problem Ability to Control Problem Level of Concern Availability of Statistical Data No data available Insufficient Regional/loc al National High Medium Medium Low Regional National National No data available National No data available High Low High Low Low No data available Medium Low Medium Medium Insufficient No data available No data available No data available Insufficient No data available No data available No data available National Medium Medium Insufficient National Medium Medium Insufficient National National National Medium Low -medium Low to medium Medium Insufficient Low to medium Insufficient Low to medium Insufficient National Low Low Insufficient Low Low Insufficient Air Pollution Pollution of Inland Waterways Marine Pollution Ground-water Pollution Soil Contamination Chemical Residues in Food Drinking Water Contamination Hazardous Waste Treatment/Dispos al Occupational Health: Agriculture Occupational Health: Industrial Public Health Chemical Accidents: Industrial Chemical Accidents: Transport Unknown Chemical Imports Storage/Disposal of Obsolete Chemicals Chemical Poisoning 46 Nature of Problem Scale of Problem Persistent Organic Pollutants Others National (Source: Government of SVG, 2013.)
Level of Concern Low to medium Ability to Control Problem Availability of Statistical Data Low to medium Insufficient 1.6 Assessment The report titled Private Sector Assessment of St. Vincent and the Grenadines (2013) has cited tourism as the main driver in the Services Sector.

The World Travel and Tourism Council estimates the direct contribution of travel and tourism to the local economy in 2012 at 6% of GDP and 5.5% of employment (2,500 jobs).
Additionally, the agricultural sector was recognised as being a key source of revenue to the country.

However, it has contracted significantly in recent years and now accounts for less than 7% of economic activity.

The manufacturing sector of SVG accounts for approximately 5% of the country’s GDP (2012).

This sector primarily consists of the production of milled rice, flour and animal feeds.
The report also identified agro-processing and pharmaceutical and medical manufacturing as potentially viable focus areas for sustainable development.

Figure 1-5 summarises the distribution of GDP for the Economic Sectors in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Figure 1-5: GDP Distribution for the Economic Sectors in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (2012) SVG does not produce chemicals but chemicals are imported and used widely in the aforementioned processes.
The issue of chemical management therefore remains a relevant issue to the country.

In St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the main sources of concern as they relate to pollution originate from the use of motor vehicles and agro- chemical use.

In the case of agriculture, the land is cleared, tilled and agrochemicals applied.
During periods of heavy rains, the topsoil and the chemicals both enter the stream flow reducing water quality (Integrating Management of Watersheds and Coastal areas in SIDS of the Caribbean: The Vincentian Perspective, 2001).

Urban areas within the country are major pollution contributors.

This is because extensive activities in these areas include littering, the release of exhaust emissions into the air and the discharge of sewage,waste water or run off from motor vehicles into the water.
The inadequate management of pesticides and chemicals which release pollutants such as nitrates, phosphates, dust, particulates, heavy metals and various hydrocarbons is also of concern in the country.

In SVG, various aspects of chemicals management are distributed among more than 47 one Ministry or Agency.

Human intrusion into water catchment areas poses special problems for managers of water resources.
Chapter 2: Legal and Institutional Capacity for Chemicals Management This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of existing legal instruments and non- regulatory mechanisms and defines the roles and responsibilities of Ministries, Agencies and other Government Institutions involved in sound management of chemicals throughout their life cycle.
Mechanisms which facilitate coordination and cooperation among ministries, agencies, and other relevant governmental and nongovernmental bodies are discussed and activities of industries, public interest groups, professional bodies and the research sector in support of national efforts to manage chemicals are described.
2.1 Overview of Legal Instruments which addresses the Management of Chemicals 2.1.1 Existing National Legislation No specific piece of legislation governs the management of chemicals in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Table 2-1 gives an overview of the existing legislation used to manage chemicals in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Details of each piece of legislation can be found in Annex III.
Table 2-1: Overview of all existing Legislation addressing the Management of Chemicals Legal Instrument Responsible Ministries or Bodies Category of Chemical Pesticide Control Board Pesticides Chemical life cycle stage covered Import Sale Storage Use Public Health Department General Handling Pesticides Control Act No.

23 of 1973 (revised 1990) Public Health Act No.


9 of 1977 Plant Protection Act (2005) National Plant Protection Agency Agricultural Chemicals Use Occupational Safety and Health (Draft) Act of 2001 All National Occupation al Safety & Health Committee Handling , storage, use, disposal and transpor 48 Objective of Legal Instrument Relevant Articles/Pr ovisions http://faole x.fao.org/do cs/pdf/stv17 854.pdf To provide for the control of the importation, sale, storage and use of pesticides.
Promotion and protection of human and environmental health.

To regulate activities relating to the protection of plants.

Sets new standards for occupational safety and health.

It addresses handling, Legal Instrument Responsible Ministries or Bodies Category of Chemical Convention on Oil Pollution Damage Act No.

6 of 2002 Marine Administrator Oil Chemical life cycle stage covered tation of dangero us substan ces.

Storage Litter Act No.


15 of 1991 Disposal Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment Protects against the indiscriminat e disposal of chemical waste.

Forestry Act of 1945 (revised 192) Standards Act No.
28 of 2001 Forestry Department General Disposal SVG Bureau of Standards All All National Emergency and Disaster Management National Emergency Management Organisation All Storage, Handling 49 Objective of Legal Instrument Relevant Articles/Pr ovisions storage, use, disposal and transportatio n of dangerous substances.

Makes provision with respect to civil liability for oil pollution by merchant ships and for connected purposes.
Prohibits the littering of public places or private property and states that all buses, taxis, ships or boats must have sufficient receptacles.

Protects water catchment areas.
Labeling of all chemicals and POPs, and promotes public and industrial welfare and health and safety Speaks to locations of chemicals and POPs containing http://faole x.fao.org/do cs/pdf/stv48 946.pdf http://faole x.fao.org/do cs/pdf/stv13 7162.pdf Legal Instrument Responsible Ministries or Bodies Category of Chemical Chemical life cycle stage covered Objective of Legal Instrument Relevant Articles/Pr ovisions Act 2006 Customs (and Control) Management Act All Customs and Excise Department Imports Exports Environmenta l Health Services Act No.
14 of 2001 Environmenta l Health Division Disposal Control of emissions and effluent discharge into water bodies Central Water and Sewerage Authority Act No.

6 of 1978 The Central Water and Sewage Authority Storage, Disposal Pollutants of water sheds and resources, Solid Waste Coast Guard Oil Coast Guard Oil Storage, Transport Storage, Transport in Oil Navigable Waters Act Cap 366 Oil Pollution (Liability and Compensation ) Act 1977 50 http://www.
customs.gov .vc/downloa ds/act- control-and- managemen t.pdf http://www.

ilo.org/dyn/ natlex/docs/ ELECTRONIC /87936/100 404/F33691 6398/VCT87 936.pdf http://faole x.fao.org/do cs/pdf/stv48 938.pdf equipment and managing the potential disasters associated with POPs Administration and border control responsibilities relating to chemicals management in international trade To conserve and maintain the environment to protect human health.
Controls emissions and effluent discharges into water bodies To regulate the conservation, control, apportionment and use of water resources.

To regulate the shipment of oil to and from vessels and to and from land.

To regulate incidence of oil pollution damage by Chemical life cycle stage covered Use Legal Instrument Responsible Ministries or Bodies Category of Chemical The Fisheries Act No.
8 of (1986) The Ministry of Agriculture Industry Forestry Fisheries and Rural Transformatio n Explosive, poison or other noxious substance to facilitate the catching of fish Petroleum Act No.

3 of 1998 Imports Pharmacy Act (2002) Pharmacy Council Medical Drugs All Waste Management Act No.

(2000) 31 The Central Water and Sewerage Authority Solid Waste Disposal Objective of Legal Instrument Relevant Articles/Pr ovisions Merchant ships and compensation.
To monitor activities and prohibit the use of explosive, poison or other noxious substances relating to fishing Controls the importation of petroleum products To decide on matters relating to the registration of pharmaceutical drugs To manage solid waste in conformity with best environmental practices http://faole x.fao.org/do cs/pdf/stv21 12.pdf http://www.

vertic.org/m edia/Nation al %20Legislati on/Saint_Vi ncent/VC_W aste_Manag ement_Act.
pdf 2.1.2 National Policies and Action Plan for Chemicals Management Chemicals Management Policy 2013 (Draft) The draft Chemicals Management Policy for St. Vincent and the Grenadines aims to prevent or minimize the health risks associated with the importation/exportation, handling, collection, transportation, treatment and/or storage of toxic chemicals and hazardous wastes to the public and environment.
This would be achieved by having control over the volume and diversity of 51 toxic substances and hazardous wastes that are either imported into, exported from, or transhipped through SVG, establishing an appropriate domestic hazardous substances handling and a transportation regime, and having appropriate regulatory mechanisms for hazardous substances storage, manufacturing, distribution and waste disposal.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines is a party to several key conventions affecting chemicals management.

The draft Chemicals Management Policy allows the Government of SVG to enact legislation so as to implement these Conventions.
These Conventions include the Stockholm Convention, the Rotterdam Convention, the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, the Vienna Convention for the protection of the ozone layer and the Montreal Protocol as well as the Chemicals Weapons Convention.
National Strategic Plan for Health 2015-2019 (Draft) The National Health Sector Strategic Plan, 2015-2019 (NHSSP) is an offspring of the National Economic and Social Development Plan of the Government of SVG and is the successor document to the National Health Sector Plan 2007-2012.

The plan aims to improve the quality of life of all Vincentians thereby leading to a more secure future.
The NHSSP provides a blueprint for advancing the national vision for health, establishes medium-term priorities, defines the manner in which the resources of all partners will be synergized and balances national needs with limitations.

It also embraces the policy framework for sustainable health development contained in key regional and international commitments ratified by the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The goals of the NHSSP are intended to address the new, emerging and re-emerging challenges to health and social development by promoting self-care interventions and healthy life-style practices.
These include empowering individuals, families and communities through awareness to manage and maintain their health, strengthening health systems by implementing policies and regulations for proper management of health care system and building strategic partnerships for health related issues and activities between Government and private sector.
With regards to the sound management of chemicals, the NHSSP proposes to strengthen environmental management systems in SVG by having at least five different pieces of legislation related to the protection and preservation of the environment enacted and allow for the introduction of routine field testing of water, wastewater and air pollution.
52 2.1.3 International Conventions and Obligations Table 2-2: International Conventions and Ratification Status for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Convention Chemical(s) of concern Objectives Obligations under the Convention Rotterdam chemicals, Industrial pesticides and severely hazardous pesticide formulations Basel Hazardous waste (chemical waste) 53 shared to promote responsibility and cooperative efforts among Parties in the international trade of certain hazardous chemicals in order to protect human health and the environment from potential harm; to contribute to the environmentally sound use of those hazardous chemicals by facilitating information exchange about their characteristics, by providing for a national decision-making process on their import and export and by disseminating these decisions to Parties.
to protect human health and the environment from the harmful effects of hazardous waste in facilitate information To exchange as a first line of defence against hazardous chemicals; To enable countries to monitor and control the trade the chemicals mentioned in the Convention via PIC; To give importing countries the power to make informed decisions as to which of these chemicals they want to receive and those they wish to exclude due to limitations in domestic capacity to safely manage them; To ensure proper labelling and provision of information on potential and environmental effects related to the specific chemicals being traded.
to develop a National Policy to address the issues of hazardous waste and other wastes and their disposal, including national objectives to minimize the generation of hazardous waste; health Date acceded/ Ratified 29/10/2010 02/03/1997 Convention Chemical(s) of concern Objectives Stockholm Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) to protect human health and the environment from organic persistent pollutants Date acceded/ Ratified 15/09/2005 Obligations under the Convention To formulate legislation to address the formal definition of relevant including terms waste”, “hazardous “transboundary movement”, and “proper disposal;” to formulate guidelines to deal with the storage, transportation and disposal of hazardous and other wastes; To prohibit and/or eliminate the production and use, as well as the import and export, of the intentionally produced POPs that are listed in Annex A to the Convention; To restrict the production and use, as well as the import and export, of the intentionally produced POPs that are listed in Annex B to the Convention ; To reduce or eliminate releases from unintentionally produced POPs that are listed in Annex C to the Convention To ensure that stockpiles and wastes consisting of, containing 54 Convention Chemical(s) of concern Objectives MARPOL All chemicals transported by sea To prevention of pollution of the marine environment by ships from operational or accidental causes Minamata Mercury Date acceded/ Ratified 26/02/2009 Not to date Obligations under the Convention or contaminated with POPs are managed safely and in an environmentally sound manner implementation To develop plans, information exchange, public information, awareness and education , research and as well as technical assistance and financial and mechanisms resources To addresses pollution from ships by oil, noxious liquid substances carried in bulk, harmful substances carried by sea in packaged form, sewage, garbage and the prevention of air pollution from ships.
Place a ban on new mercury mines, phase-out of existing mines, control measures on air emissions, and the international regulation of the informal sector for artisanal and small- scale gold mining.

55 2.2 Non-regulatory Mechanisms for Managing Chemicals Responsible Care programmes Some companies within the private sector have responsible care programmes to ensure protection to human health and the environment through educational awareness and advertisements.
These voluntary and rigorous programmes of collective action by member companies include the following:  Adherence to the principles and objectives of Responsible Care;  Safety, health and environmental performance, measured by a consistent set of indicators; Systems for mutual aid and sharing best practice throughout;   Channels of communication to the public;  Responsible Care management System Guidance and a mandatory self-assessment process.
Though corporate initiatives are not specific to the management of chemicals, members of nearby communities are sensitised and educated on environmental issues and proper environmental practices.

Sagicor Life Inc. for example, supports the annual SVG Coastguard Service Youth Development Summer Programme.

This programme exposes participants to disciplines which include fisheries conservation.
The Buccament Bay Resort in SVG is committed to corporate social responsibility through the protection of the local environment and ensuring responsible use of resources.

All resorts are subject to an Environmental Impact Analysis study and will be built in strict accordance with local and international government building standards regulations (Buccament Bay Resort, 2014).
The St. Vincent Electricity Services Limited (VINLEC) in fulfilment of its mission recognizes the importance of the environment and accepts environmental protection as a social responsibility.

They believe that the incorporation of environmental protection, conservation and enhancement in the conduct of business is beneficial to the ecological and economic welfare of the country (VINLEC, 2015).
2.3 Ministries, Agencies and Governmental Institutions There is no single Ministry, Agency or Governmental Institution which is responsible for all aspects of chemicals management in SVG.

The Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment is the primary Ministry which has a focus on chemical management in the country.
Other Ministries involved with chemicals and waste management in SVG include:    The Ministry of Agriculture, Industry, Forestry, Fisheries and Rural Transformation The Ministry of Transport, Works and Housing The Ministry of Finance and Planning The Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment (MOHWE) The Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment (MOHWE) has the overall responsibility for coordination of environmental management activities in SVG.
In pursuit of its mission, the ministry among its many functions, facilitates intra and intersectoral coordination in the 56 provision of health care and in the protection and preservation of the environment and institutes the necessary regulatory mechanisms to ensure the availability of quality health care and the maintenance of the integrity of the environment.
The MOHWE is generally concerned with the direct and indirect effects of releasing chemicals into the environment as well as being concerned with the acute and chronic health impacts of chemicals to the general public.The Environmental Management Department (EMD) as well as the Pharmaceutical Services Department falls under the ambit of the Ministry with a direct mandate to deal with chemical management issues.
The Ministry’s duties for the management of chemicals are in the hands of the Chief Medical Officer (CMO).

The Pharmacy Inspector is given the task of “Control and inspection of medicines/drugs and psychotropic substances at all phases of production and consumption, as well as setting the principles of opening and operating of production and distribution places for pharmaceuticals and medicinal substances and preparations as well as inspecting these places.
The Units within the EMD with some mandate in the management of chemical or dealing with chemical management issues are the Environmental Engineering Unit (EEU), the Vector Control Unit (VCU) and the Conservation and Sustainable Development Unit (CSDU).
The EEU’s mandate is to focus on, but not limited to, monitoring of environmental parameters such as air quality, recreational and potable water quality, occupational health and safety issues, noise, pollution form liquid and solid waste, and effluent discharge from industries.

The CSDU includes the management of chemicals through the implementation of the various multilateral environmental conventions that St. Vincent and the Grenadines has signed.
These include the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD), the Montreal Protocol, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.The VCU stores, handles and uses pesticides of public health importance as well as provides services to households on sanitation, waste water and domestic solid waste management.
The Central Water and Sewerage Authority (CWSA), a statutory body under the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment, is empowered by Act No.

17 of 1991 to “investigate the water resources of St Vincent and the Grenadines and advise the Minister relating to the improvement, preservation, conservation, utilization and apportionment of those resources”.
This Authority has a laboratory at the CWSA and carries out weekly sampling at the larger water treatment plants and bi-weekly sampling of water from the sources, smaller treatment facilities and areas along the distribution network.

Tests are conducted to investigate chemical and microbial parameters such as residual chlorine and faecal and total coliforms(MOHWE/PAHO, 2013).
The Pharmaceutical Services, also a unit within the MOHWE, embodies all activities relating to procurement, storage, and distribution of pharmaceuticals, supplies and administration of Pharmaceutical Care to clients.
The Department is charged with the responsibility to manage, dispense and distribute all drugs and medical supplies for use within the public health sector and to be responsible for the promotion of the safe use of medications, pharmaceutical devices and services towards the desired therapeutic end.

There also exists a Pharmacy Council which is empowered to collect and utilize fees to perform regulatory functions, hence exercising some level of autonomy in execution of its regulatory functions.
57 The Ministry of Agriculture, Industry, Forestry, Fisheries and Rural Transformation The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Rural Transformation is concerned with the use of agricultural chemicals for the benefit of securing food supplies.

This Ministry comprises the Departments of Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, Rural Transformation and Industry.

The Agriculture Department oversees Agriculture activities in SVG.

This department comprises units and sub-units.


The units which may have some aspect of chemical management are:  Agricultural Planning Unit.

This unit provides services which involve aspects of chemical managementsuch as the collection of import and export data of agricultural products.

 Communication & Information Unit This unit disseminates information to units, divisions and departments of the Ministry, assists with farming technology and informs the general public on important activities.
This will include information sharing of best practices for the growing of crops and as such information about some of the chemicals which will be involved in order to the facilitate process successfully.

 Research & Development Division  The primary objective of this unit is the rehabilitation and preservation of the soil and water resources of the state, through the application of suitable conservation techniques.

The Plant Protection/Quarantine Unit falls under this Division.
This unit is mandated with the responsibility of educating farmers on pesticide management and implementing Integrated Pest Management programmes appropriate to farming systems.

Soufriere Monitoring Unit Though this unit does not directly focus on the management of chemicals in SVG, it is responsible for the continuous monitoring of volcanic activity on the island and thus provides accurate, early warnings to the population for disaster preparedness and prevention.
Monitoring activities may involve the use of chemicals when tests are being conducted.

Additionally, disaster preparedness may also ensure that farmers are informed on how to handle or store their chemicals before a disaster strikes.

The Fisheries Department has the following units: Extension Public Education  Biology and Research    Data Quality Control/Product Development  Conservation 58 These units contribute toward the overall chemical management in SVG.
Pollution management and the direct and indirect pollution of water courses may be some of the issues featured in the fulfilment of some of the mandates of the units.

The Forestry Department has among its mandates, the education of the general public on the preservation of the natural forests and conservation techniques which can be performed.

They aim to create conscious-minded citizens who will actively participate in such activities.
The use of chemicals, their negative impacts and the proper care techniques which should be employed for forest preservation may also be incorporated into the focus areas.

The Rural Transformation Department coordinates interventions in rural areas that are undertaken by all state institutions, NGO's, service organisations and other national agencies.
Rural communities are vulnerable to a lack of infrastructural development, unsafe environmental practices such as poor sanitation and persons with very limited financial resources to ensure an improved quality of life.

The department therefore plays an indirect role in chemical management since the improvement of rural communities will improve environmental practices of residents and reduce the prevalence of chemical pollution.
The Industry Department is the principal institution responsible for shaping the government’s policy in respect of the country’s institutional development and for stimulating the development of the industrial sector by promoting greater economic diversification, export competitiveness and improved productivity.

This unit processes applications for industry incentives under the Fiscal Incentives Act, Chapter 366 of the Laws of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The Banana Growers’ Association of St. Vincent and the Grenadines was a company initiated in the 1950’s and consolidated into Parliament through Act 44 of 1954.

The Association was a Statutory Body which functioned as a Quasi-Government Organisation.

The main objectives of the Association included the control of banana cultivation, marketing and exportation as well as the provision of services not limited to the collection, treatment and marketing of the bananas.
In order to achieve these objectives, there was an effort to continuously improve the quality of marketable fruits to make it as competitive as possible.

Some of the specialities of the Association also included the handling of the other inputs to banana cultivation such as herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers and nematicides (Rittgers and La Gra, 1991).
In early 2009, with the passage of the Banana Industry Act in the House of Parliament, the Association was dissolved and several of the functions performed by the Association were transferred to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, 2010).
The Ministry of Transport, Works, Urban Development and Local Government The Ministry of Transport, Works, Urban Development and Local Government also has as part of its mandate to support other Ministries and government agencies in the execution and implementation of projects.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines relies on the importation of goods including, but not limited to chemicals, fertilisers, minerals and fuels from regional and international sources.
The availability of transport infrastructure facilitates the importation and include airports and various types of vessels such as bulk carriers, cargo vessels, chemical tankers, containers, liquefied gas containers, passenger and passenger/cargo ships, petroleum tankers, refrigerated cargo, roll on/roll off vessels and specialised tankers.
The Ministry of 59 Transport, Works, Urban Development and Local Government is responsible for overseeing all transport infrastructures in the country (Commonwealth Network, 2015).

The Local Government Division is responsible for the promotion of local governance within the Communities and the provision of basic services such as minor road, drains and footpaths development and maintenance; the management of cemeteries and community markets; and sanitation services.
The Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning The Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning also coordinates environmental planning and management in its role as the overarching body responsible for all developmental initiatives in the country.

The Central Planning Division of the Ministry coordinates development projects and approves all external donor coordination and funding.
Additionally, this division has a Statistical Unit which has among its mandates to collect, compile and analyse statistical information relative to the agricultural, commercial, industrial, financial, social and general activities and condition of the inhabitants of St.Vincent and the Grenadine as well as the publication and dissemination of reports.
The Ministry of Housing, Informal Human Settlements, Lands and Surveys and Physical Planning The Physical Planning Unit within the Ministry is responsible for the preparation of physical development plans, administration of development control and for facilitating the built/infrastructural development to enhance economic and social development.
In order to fulfil this role, the Unit’s objectives include the preparation of national, regional and local physical development plans to promote sustainable environmental, social and economic development and provide technical assistance and advice on matters related to planning, environmental management, and project planning.

In this respect, the Physical Planning Unit does provide some measure of chemical management in the efforts to maintain environmental integrity.
2.4 Interministerial Commissions and Coordinating Mechanisms In St. Vincent and the Grenadines, there are existing commissions/agencies which contribute to the regulationof chemical management.

These include the National Economic and Social Development Council, the National Environmental Advisory Board, the National Emergency Council and the Pesticides Control Board.
Another coordinating role is played by the National Economic and Social Development Council, a government advisory body composed of government and community representatives that disseminates information and reacts to government policies and programs.

Pesticide Control Board The Pesticides Control Board (PCB) of St Vincent and the Grenadines, a regulatory authority, was established under the Pesticides Control Act (1973).
Though not fully functional, the Board has as its mandate, to advise the Governor in making regulations under this Pesticides Control Act (Sect.

4), the legal instrument used to regulate the importation, sale, storage and use of pesticides in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

The Board comprises the Chief Agricultural Officer, Chief Medical Officer, one other technical officer, and three other persons appointed by the 60 Governor.

The Chief Agricultural Officer is the chairperson of the Board.
The Secretary of the Board is the Chief Plant Protection Officer.

The Board mandates the appointment of Pesticides Inspectors.
Positive steps were taken in the development of a harmonized procedure for the registration of agricultural pesticides in the Caribbean, when the Strengthening Agricultural Quarantine Services in the Caribbean (SAQS) Project, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Coordinating Group of Pesticides Control Boards in the Caribbean (CGPC), hosted a one-day workshop in SVG, March 22, 2004 (IICA, 2004).
National Environmental Advisory Board (NEAB) In Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), the National Environmental Advisory Board (NEAB) was appointed by Cabinet to assistin the coordination of multi-sector environmental activities and is comprised ofrepresentatives from 11 government departments/units and agencies.
The NEAB has theoverall responsibility of determining the appropriateness of the St Vincent and theGrenadines National Environmental Management Strategy and Action Plan (NEMS) andmay be able to oversee its implementation (Homer and Shim, 2004).

National Economic and Social Development Council The National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, comprises representatives from major interest groups, political parties and civil society organizations.
The role of this Council is to critically analyse the economy and recommend solutions to emerging or existing problems.

The NESDC has become the focal point for the development of a poverty reduction strategy and has put a task force in place to draft the Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (The National Economic and Social Development Council, 2003).

The NESDC also contributed towards the National Economic and Social Development Plan 2013 – 2025.
The reduction of poverty may serve to improve sanitary conditions and reduce pollution of rivers and other water courses by chemicals such as those used in agriculture and other activities.

National Emergency Council The National Emergency Council is chaired by the Prime Minister and is composed of Ministers, permanent secretaries, district representatives and key ex-officio members from government agencies, corporations, businesses and non-governmental organizations.
The council functions to coordinate the development of national disaster policy and serves as the inter-agency focus during disaster events.

The National Emergency Executive Committee monitors progress on national disaster policy implementation and provides the technical implementation supervision on behalf of the national council.
Though their mandates are not specific to the management of chemicals, disaster preparedness will ensure that chemicals are handled and stored appropriately in the event a disaster strikes (Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery, 2010).

The Chemical Management Authority (proposed) TheChemicals Management Policy once finalized, will result in the establishment of a Chemicals Management Authority.
This Authority will be an Inter-ministerial Commission and will compromise: 61       two representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture; representative from the Ministry responsible for Trade; two representatives from the Ministry responsible for Health; a representative of the Bureau of Standards; a representative of the Customs Department; and arepresentative of the Attorney General’s Department.
The Chemicals Management Authority would be responsible for:  providing licenses for the importation, handling, transportation and ultimate transportation for treatment and disposal of chemicals;  designing a training programme/session for business and carrier companies on the safe handling and transportation of toxic chemicals and hazardous wastes; and  monitoring and regulating the operation of the private facilities affiliated with the use of chemicals.
2.5 Description of Non-governmental Organisations/Programmes Industrial organisation and entities The SVG Chamber of Industry and Commerce (SVGCIC) is a non-profit, non-governmental, membership based organisation.

Established in 1926, the SVGCIC is the oldest and largest private sector organisation, representing the interest of approximately 120 businesses across SVG.

Their key purpose is to enable private sector growth and development, facilitate trade and encourage investment.
The SVGCIC offers business and consultation services, facilitation of trade among businesses locally and regionally, as well as provide support to businesses that seek their assistance.

The Pan-American Health Organisation seeks to improve health and living standards of the people of the Americas.

The Caribbean Program Coordination Centre (CPCC) is located in Barbados and serves a number of countries including SVG.
PAHO’s mandate includes chemical safety as it may relate to food safety, medicines for example Labour Unions and Workers’ Association The active labour unions and workers’ association in SVG are the Commercial Technical and Allied Workers’ Union, the Public Service Union, the National Workers Movement, the Windward Islands Farmers’ Association and the Employers’ Federation (St. Vincent and the Grenadines Public Service Union, 2003).
These Unions operate under the best practices approach of industrial relations which centres on the creation of better industrial practices for a stable working environment thereby enhancing the growth of industry and ensuring greater economic returns.

Health and Safety Committees are also established in order to promote or improve health and safety at the workplace, inclusive of the safe use of chemicals.
Universities There are limited tertiary education institutions in SVG empowering citizens in fields related to chemical management.
However, the following institutions provide or intend to provide in the near future the following training: St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College This institution offers an Associate Degree in Agriculture Science, designed to produce graduates with the necessary knowledge, skills and ability to undertake job responsibilities as 62 senior technicians, middle management personnel, agricultural teachers, commercial farmers, farm managers and also provides a base for advanced agricultural studies at the Bachelor Degree level (St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College online , 2015) All Saints University All Saints University operates a collegiate system comprising of three colleges; College of Medicine, College of Arts and Science and College of Engineering.
Plans are in place to commence Bachelor degree programs in Life Sciences, Biochemistry, Bioinformatics, Chemistry, Microbiology, Laboratory Medicine) and in Technology (Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering etc.)

in the next few semesters (All Saints University online, 2015).
Research institutes The Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) has been steadfast in providing contributions to the growth and development of the agricultural sector of Member countries of the Caribbean community.

CARDI serves as the agricultural research and development unit and it is the only regional agricultural institution.

CARDI has a critical role to play in the implementation and co-ordination of key technology and information systems.
The Fisheries Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Industry, Forestry, Fisheries and Rural Transformation has a Biology and Research Unit, which also functions as the Division's Research and Resource Management Unit.
A number of programmes are being coordinated by the unit, which include: assessment of all species of commercial importance; research on cetaceans and on the Warsaw grouper; establishment and refinement of the licensing and registration system; liaising with competent regional and international fisheries management organizations;      drafting and revising fisheries management plans; and  maintenance, storage and use of relevant research equipment.
Libraries In St. Vincent and the Grenadines, library facilities are available at CARDI, St. Vincent Electricity Services Limited (VINLEC) and the Forestry Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, Industry, Forestry, Fisheries and Rural Transformation.

These facilities provide research information related to the operations occurring at the individual institutes.
Governmental Organisations, Agencies and Statutory Authorities St. Vincent and the Grenadines’s state-owned utility VINLEC is the sole provider of electricity to the main island of St. Vincent, and the Grenadines’ islands of Bequia, Union Island, Canouan, and Mayreau.

The company has and continues to execute renewable projects with the aim of reducing itsdependency on fossil fuel based energy for electricity generation.
In 2009 and 2012, a solar plant was installed and upgraded respectively, allowing the plant tosupply a gross power of 55 kW.In 2013, plans to install another solar PV were decided.This new plant was expected to prvide electricity to 533 homes and increase the gross provision of power to the country to 533kW and a reduction in the nation’s total fuel bill of $700,000.VINLEC also works with the government on geothermal energy investigations.
Public Awareness on the importance of energy conservation has also been one if the initiatives set out by VINLEC in order to encourage customers to participate in the green approach to energy (Allen, 2014).

63 Public Interest Groups and other Nongovernmental Organisations The St. Vincent and the Grenadines Coalition of Service Industries (SVGCSI) was registered and incorporated as a non-profit organization.
It is the service sector umbrella body, which was created to represent the interests of the domestic services sector through technical support, advocacy and market intelligence.

SVGCSI assists the local services sector to become more competitive as well as to be export ready to take full advantage of international trade agreements.

Some of the objectives of the organisation include:       Equip members with expertise to exploit new and existing trade opportunities.
Promote the implementation of standards, in order to improve competitiveness in the service sector.

Facilitate the formation of professional associations.

Sensitize Service Providers about trade agreements and the opportunities; Facilitate the development of professional licensing standards and regulations in key services sectors.

Serve as a focal point for lobbying Government and to address services trade issues.
The Eastern Caribbean Trading Agriculture and Development Organisation (ECTAD), launched in 1995, is an NGO focused on linking agriculture to health, tourism, agro-processing, domestic and overseas markets and the environment.

Emphasis is placed on core activities operation at the village level with focus on training in strategic areas to build capacity.
The objectives of the organisation include: Improve Agronomic practices,   Development of contractual arrangement with the final buyer   Consolidation of product collection Specialization in crops that we have a comparative advantage in, and The St. Vincent and the Grenadines National Trust was established by an Ordinance of the Legislative Council in 1969.

The SVG National Trust has evolved into an NGO with a Board of Trustees elected by its members.
The Board is responsible for the formulation of policy directives which are implemented through the National Trust Secretariat.

The missions of the Trust are to forge a strong national appreciation for the preservation and understanding of the cultural traditions and heritage of SVG and to preserve and enhance SVG’s biological diversity through the promotion of sound environmental practices and conservation.
Other active NGOs in SVG include:  North Windward Environmental Committee  JEMS Environmental Management Services  The St Vincent National Trust  Projects Promotions Ltd  The North Leeward Tourism Association Maintain and develop tourism sites  The Buccament Development Organisation Community Group  Union Island Museum and Ecological Society (Advocacy and Management for Fragile Ecological areas in the Southern Grenadine Island of Union) 64   JEMS Progressive Organisation Friends of The Environment (Advocacy and Management for Fragile Ecological area of the Tobago Cays)  Grenadines Environmentally Sustainable Development Programme Group Coastal Zone Management The activities of NGOs in SVGare restricted due to lack of availability of resources and poor co- ordination among NGOs, the Government and the society.
2.6 Summary of Agencies with responsibility for Key Administrative Procedures for Chemical Control Pesticide Control Board (PCB) The Pesticides Control Board is the authority which is authorized to regulate the importation, sale, storage and use of pesticides in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

The PCB is mandated under the Pesticides and Toxic Chemical Control Act.
Statistical Office The Statistical Office is charged with the responsibility of taking censuses in the Republic of SVG to collect, compile, analyze and publish statistical information relating to all social and economic activities of the people of SVG.

The Statistical Office collects data on all chemicals produced, imported and exported throughout SVG.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines Bureau of Standards The SVG Bureau of Standards is a corporate body established by the Standards Act under the aegis of Ministry of Telecommunications, Science and Technology and Industry.

It has a statutory responsibility for the quality of goods and services, which are subject to trade in SVG.A National Standards Council (NSC) appointed by Cabinet administrates the general affairs of the Bureau and is the main policy organ and regulator of the SVGBS (SVGBS, 2015).
The primary role of the Bureau of Standards is to develop, promote and enforce standards in order to improve the quality and performance of goods produced or used in the country, to ensure industrial efficiency and development, to promote public and industrial welfare, health and safety, and protect the environment.
The content of these standards includes advertising, electrical engineering, environment, quality, packaging, labelling, textiles, footwear, garments, tourism, civil engineering, construction, occupational health and safety and vehicles.

Ministry of Trade, Industry, Investment and Communications (Harmonised System (HS) Code) The Harmonised System was developed by the World Customs Organization and it is a system that classifies all traded products.
The importance of this system is that it is used by customs organizations worldwide to control which products enter and exit a country.

These codes are also used to administer tariffs.

The Customs Division and the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Investment and Communicationsuse the HS code for import and export of chemicals as well as chemical waste.

2.7 Assessment Table 2-3 illustrates the management of chemicals in SVG for various chemicals across the different stages of their life cycles.
The table shows that excluding pesticides, chemicals are not managed fully in the country and may be as a result of the country’s reliance on the agriculture sector for revenue.The management of fertilizers in the country is however limited to its importation.. SVG imports all the petroleum products required for use within the country and as such pieces of legislation for their management exists throughout the lifecycle with 65 exception of their distribution and disposal.
Consumer chemicals and chemical waste are the least managed in the country with pieces of legislation only existing for their importation and disposal respectively.
Category of Chemical Table 2-3: Overview of Legal Instruments to Manage Chemicals Tr an sp or t St or ag e Pr o d uc ti o n I m p or ta ti o n Pesticides (Agricultural, Public health, Consumer Use) Fertilizers Industrial Chemicals Petroleum Products Consumer Chemicals Chemical Waste (Source: Government of SVG, 2013) x x x x x x x x x Di st ri b ut io n x Us e/ H an dl in g x x Di sp os al / R ec yc le X X While St Vincent and the Grenadines has existing pieces of legislation for the management of chemicals, the legislations are insufficient because whether collectively or individually, they are not comprehensive because they do not regulate the entire life cycles of all chemicals.
The regulations are segregated according to different Ministries for different sectoral chemical use.

In SVG, the Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control Act and regulations is the only piece of legislation that covers the entire chemical life cycle.

However, this piece of legislation only relates to the management of agrichemicals and toxic chemicals and excludes others such asconsumer and industrial chemicals and chemical wastes.
The Draft Chemical Management Policy (2013) is one of SVG’s responses to this inefficiency by establishing a national goal for the management of chemicals.

This Policy defines objectives and policies with respect to the sectors for which regulatory control is considered and required.

It also includes a partial analysis of the range of national legislation which is either available or currently being prepared that has some relevance to the overall management of hazardous substances.
The Policy incorporates all aspects of the management of chemicals from the cradle to grave; importation, handling and transport, operation and include the treatment, disposal or exportation of the waste.

As part of its mandate, the handling and transport of the toxic chemicals and hazardous wastes are the responsibility of the individual businesses and carrier companies (private sector).
The public sector would be responsible for providing a regulatory framework for the management of chemical and hazardous waste.

66 The proposed Chemical Management Authority has as a mandate to design training programmes/ sessions for businesses and carrier companies on the safe handling and transportation of toxic chemicals and hazardous wastes, after which carrier companies would be certified.
It would be the responsibility of the individual businesses or where applicable public entities and carrier companies to seek out training and certification.

Training sessions should deal with good business practices and should be done at the certification stage and should be managed or approved by the Chemicals Management Authority.
It will also be the responsibility of the Chemicals Management Authority to manage the manifest system, and to monitor the proper handling and transportation of the toxic chemicals and hazardous wastes.

Currently the responsibility of ensuring that chemicals do not present adverse effects to human health and the environment rests with various Ministries and government agencies through laws, regulations and guidelines.
Presently the activities of these bodies are inadequately coordinated, resulting in gaps and overlaps in the areas of importation, registration, use/handling and disposal, compliance monitoring and enforcement, workers health and safety to mention a few.
In addition to these are the overlapping of organizational responsibilities at national, regional and local levels, overly centralized functions and overly dispersed functions, and issues related to establishment of priorities and the phasing of programmes.

The two main Ministries that show some capacity in the institutional arrangement for the management of chemicalsare the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture, Industry, Forestry, Fisheries and Rural Transformation.
Other Ministries/Agencies which are also involved in chemical management in SVG include the Department of Labour under the Ministry of National Reconciliation, the Public Service, Labour, Information and Ecclesiastical Affairs who is responsible for the occupational safety and health of workers.
67 Chapter 3: Chemical Production, Import, Export, Storage, Transportation, Use and Disposal This chapter provides an overview of the life cycle of chemicals in SVG from production and/or import to disposal and handling of chemical waste.

3.1 Background The environmentally sound management of chemicals is inevitably one of the major tenets of sustainable development especially in small island developing states like SVG.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines has a responsibility to develop national programmes for the environmentally sound management of chemicals and to effectively implement the Strategic Approach to International Chemical Management (SAICM) across all sectors at the national level.

SAICM is a plan for ensuring, by 2020, that all chemicals are used and produced in ways that lead to the minimization of significant adverse effects on human health and the environment(Utilisateur, 2015).
St. Vincent and the Grenadines also recognizes that ensuring environmental sustainability, eco-health and eco-security is also a prerequisite for poverty alleviation.

Thus, seeing the importance of mainstreaming of chemical management and addressing poverty in all sectors policies should be a priority for St. Vincent.

3.2 Chemical Production, Import and Export There is no evidence of chemical production or chemical manufacturing in SVG; hence there is no export trade of chemicals from SVG.
Chemicals are imported into the country and shipped to the Grenadines (domestic export) as required.

Chemical imports include pesticides (especially for the banana industry), industrial chemicals on a small scale and consumer chemicals.

The focus for chemicals management in SVG is therefore placed on importation, utilization and disposal when analyzing the life cycle of these chemicals within the country.
According to the 2013 report on the ‘National Chemical Management Profile on thAssessment of Chemical Production, Imports, Exports and Uses in St. Vincent and the Grenadines’, a national survey identified the following sectors as the major contributors to the importation, utilization and disposal of chemicals in SVG:         Agriculture Construction Manufacturing Mining and Quarrying Transportation/Utilities Education Health Domestic use 68 Additionally, the report mentioned that the majority of chemicals imported are sourced by private companies.
The chemicals are either sold or used internally for their own operations.

Chemicals are also imported by ministerial organizations especially the Ministries responsible for Education, Health and Agriculture.

These chemicals are used to facilitate experiments in schools, and environmental based programs in order to combat vector-borne diseases.
Chemicals are also imported to be used as detergents, drugs, paints, synthetic resins, fuel, cosmetics, perfumes adhesives, arts and craft products, automotive products batteries, cleaners, metal coatings, fiberglass and resin plastics, fillers, inks, oils pigments, acids, alkalis, and reagents.
In St. Vincent and the Grenadines, chemicals are used as precursor substances, in agriculture as pesticides, as plant growth hormones, in husbandry both as animal health and plant products, in transportation, in construction, in homes, in the production of energy, the purification of water and as medication for both humans and plants.As stated in the National Chemical Management Profile for SVG, the manufacturing industries import chemicals, mainly from the United States and China to manufacture products for the local and regional markets, a few of them export significant quantities of their products.
Table 3-1 summaries the major chemical imports and exports for St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

A full list of imports and exports for SVG during the period 2012 – 2013 can be seen in Annex IV.
Table 3-1: Chemical Production, Import and Export for St. Vincent and the Grenadines2012 Chemical Type Quantity produced or manufacture d Value imports for 2012 Value exports for 2012 Metric tons Metric Tons US ‘000$ Metric Tons US ‘000$ Pesticides, (agricultural/public health and consumer use) Fertilizers Petroleum Products 0 0 0 0 *Industrial ( use in manufacturing/processin g facilities Pharmaceutical products 0 69 2509 2256 0 1 N/A N/A 560 N/A N/A 1584 114, 989 2, 108 1 N/A 4328 N/A 2 480 5 4 Consumer chemicals 0 N/A 6655 N/A 5 0 Other chemicals/ unknown or mixed used (Source: Trademap, 2012) N/A- Information Unavailable; *Industrial (use in manufacturing/processing facilities): Uniformed import and export data in weights and monetary worth was unavailable.
110 280 0 0 70 Table 3-2 summarises the types of chemicals comprising each category of chemicals imported into Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (2012).
Table 3-2: Chemicals comprising each category in SVG using Trademap (2012) Product Label Category Soaps, lubricants, waxes, candles, modelling pastes, Essential oils, perfumes, cosmetics, toileteries Consumer Chemicals Industrial Chemicals Organic chemicals, inorganic chemicals, precious metal compound, isotopes, chemical industry products and residuals nes, antiknock preparations, oxidation & gum inhibitors, viscosity improver, activated carbon; activated natural mineral products;animal black, finishing agents, dye carriers or fixing for text., paper, leather ind., industrial anti-freezing preparations and prepared de-icing fluids, composite diagnostic or laboratory reagents, nes residual lyes from the manufacture of wood pulp, tall oil Refractory cements, mortars, concretes and similar compositions, nes Fertilizers Pharmaceutical Products Mineral fuels, oils, distillation products, etc Other Chemicals Fertilizers Pharmaceuticals Petrochemicals In 2012, the chemicals imported into SVG consisted of pesticides, fertilizers, petroleum products, industrial chemicals, pharmaceutical products, consumer chemicals and other chemicals.
The total value of these importswas worthUS$ 132, 200, 000 (Trademap, 2012) of which the majority consisted of petroleum products.

This is because SVG does not manufacture petrochemicals and has to rely on their importationto be used within the country.The country’s economic sector however, is dependent on the agriculture and manufacturing sectors.
This is evident by the importation of agrochemicals (namely pesticides and fertilisers) and which are used in furniture and manufacturing processesuch as food processing, clothing).Conversely,the value of chemicals exported from SVG in 2012 was worth $497 000, the majority consisting of non-crude petroleum oils.
Source: Adapted from data retrieved from Trademap 2012 Figure 3-1: The cost of chemicals imported into SVG (2012) 71 Chemical Use by Categories 3.3 Chemicals are used on a daily basis for multiple purposes in SVG.
An inventory conducted under the SAICM initiative ‘National Chemical Management Profile of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines’ in 2013 wasbased on the International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC) of economic activities codes which identified the major activities using chemicals in everyday processes in SVG.
The chemical inventory provided an accurate, updated information on the chemicals being used by entities in SVG as well as categorised the chemicals into their specific hazard classes to identify uses of particular materials and to communicate hazard information including special controls or and procedures (United Nations Environment Programme, n.d.).

Table 3-3 describes the quantity of chemicals being used in the country by types and category using the International Standard Industrial Classification Rev.
4 classification whilst Table 3-4 provides a breakdown of the different types of chemicals used in SVG according to economic activities.

Table 3-3: Chemical Products Use by Type and Industry during 2011 Type of Chemical Product Pesticides (Agricultural) ISIC Rev.
4 Classificatio n A & G G A & G Pesticides (Public Health) Fertilizer Petroleum Products (Auto industry) C S & G G S & G G C & G C, H &G H & G C & G Petroleum Products (Transportation/Utiliti es) G D C, H & G, D D Form Quantity/Units Totals/Units Liquid Semi solid Solids Gas Liquid Semi solid Solid Solid Gas Liquid Semi solid Solid Gas Liquid Semi solid 59.11 & 3370.48 L 1.54Kg 41.12 & 9004.42 Kg 2.846 L 9.64 & 14084.2 L 1.08 Kg 63.2 & 19.42 Kg 1240.69Kg 125.1 & 484 L 397.4, 1276.8 & 173755.38 20.4 & 1.16 Kg 227.5 & 14.02 19800000 L 2304786.37, 33.79, 7.55, 6183139.70 L 48.93 Kg 3430.00 L 1.54Kg 9045.54 Kg 2.85L 14093.84L 1.08Kg 82.62Kg 1240.69Kg 609.1L 175429.66 L 21.56 Kg 241.77 Kg 19800000 L 8487967.4 1 L 72 Type of Chemical Product ISIC Rev.
4 Classificatio n Form Quantity/Units Totals/Units Solid 984 Kg 48.93 948 Kg Industrial Chemicals (Manufacturing) Industrial Chemicals (Construction) Industrial Chemicals (Service Industry) Consumer Chemicals (Homes/Business) Consumer Chemicals (Schools) Consumer Chemicals (Laboratories) Other Chemicals C C & S D & C C S & G C & S S C, S & G C, S & G A, P, D, Q, C, S, H, & G S & G P, D, C, S, H & G P P A & P Q A, P & Q Q A & Q D & S C, S & G A Gas Liquid Solid Solid Gas Liquid Semi solid Solid Gas Liquid Semi solid Solid Gas Liquid Solid Gas Liquid Semi solid Solid Gas Liquid Solid 4.54 L 8459.84 and 4.99L 0.03 & 320055.04 Kg 42.5 Kg 4.54 L 8464.83 320055.07 Kg 42.5 Kg 396.72 & 352.24 L 3.78 & 777.66 L 47.31 Kg 34.32, 9.11 & 220 Kg 2.4, 0.5 & 9 L 0.24, 5.44, 3.38, 3.79, 395.93, 78.72, 83.73 & 6820.26 L 114.62 & 0.37 Kg 6, 45.09, 4.55, 150.94, 1.6 & 46.19 Kg 195.45 L 8 L 1 & 10.96 Kg 4.81 Kg 1.5, 95.45 & 79.59 L 0.1 Kg 25.
21 & 46.71 Kg 3 & 173.8 L 1863.35, 2500805.75 & 65.29 L 0.03 748.96 L 781.44 L 47.31 Kg 263.43 Kg 11.9 L 7391.48 L 114.99 Kg 254.37 Kg 195.45 L 8 L 11.96 4.81 Kg 176.54 L 0.1 Kg 71.92 Kg 176.8 L 2502734.3 9 L 0.03 Kg (Source: Government of SVG, 2013) Table 3-4: Chemical Use by Economic Activity in SVG during 2011 73 Economic Activity Chemical Type Place of Use Physical State Quantity Consumer Chemicals Consumer Chemicals Consumer Chemicals Consumer Chemicals Consumer Chemicals Other Chemicals Consumer Chemicals Petroleum products Consumer Chemicals Industrial chemicals Petroleum products Petroleum products Consumer Chemicals Consumer Chemicals Consumer Chemicals Consumer Chemicals Consumer Chemicals Pesticides Consumer Chemicals Industrial chemicals Industrial Schools Gas 195.45kg Home/Businesse s Schools Home/Businesse s Schools Liquid 5.44L Liquid 8.0L Solid 6 kg Solid 10.962 kg ----- Gas 3 kg Home/Businesse s Transportation/U tilities Home/Businesse s Manufacturing Transportation/U tilities Transportation/U tilities Laboratories Home/Businesse s Laboratories Liquid 3.375L Liquid Solid 2304786.
373L 45.09 kg Solid 0.025 kg Solid 984 kg Semi- solid Gas 48.925 kg 0.27 kg Liquid 3.79L Liquid 19.456L Laboratories Solid 0.125 kg Home/Businesse s Public Health Home/Businesse s Manufacturing Gas 2.4 kg Gas Liquid 2.846 kg 370.222L Liquid 2532.64L Service Liquid 3.78L Education Electricity/Gas/Steam/ Air conditioning Human Health and Social Work Manufacturing 74 Economic Activity Chemical Type Place of Use Industries ------- Physical State Quantity Liquid 1863.65L Auto industry Liquid 36.4L Transportation/U tilities Home/Businesse s Construction Liquid 33.79L Solid 4.55 kg Solid 42.5 kg Manufacturing Solid Service Industries Service Industries ----------- Solid Gas Gas 320050 kg 34.32 kg 396.72 kg 173.8 kg Home/Businesse s Manufacturing Liquid 64.795L Liquid 4.99L Service Industries ---------- Public Health Home/Businesse s Service Industries Public Health Home/Businesse s Service Industries Public Health Liquid 295.261L Liquid Liquid Solid 2500805.
75L 4.54L 150.94 kg Solid 9.11 kg Solid Semi- solid Semi- solid Semi- solid 43.2 kg 8.9536 kg 89.37 kg 0 chemicals Other chemicals Petroleum products Petroleum products Consumer Chemicals Industrial chemicals Industrial chemicals Industrial chemicals Industrial chemicals Other chemicals Consumer Chemicals Industrial chemicals Industrial chemicals Other chemicals Pesticide Consumer Chemicals Industrial chemicals Pesticide Consumer Chemicals Industrial chemicals Pesticide Other Service Industries 75 Economic Activity Chemical Type Place of Use Home/Businesse s ------------- Auto industries Liquid Physical State Liquid Liquid Quantity 83.732L 0 0 Transportation/U tilities Home/Businesse s ------------ Auto industries Service Industries Auto industries Transportation/U tilities Home/Businesse s Construction Liquid 7.55L Solid 1.6 kg Semi- solid Semi- solid Gas Gas Gas Liquid 0 0 352.24 kg 484 kg 19801000 kg 500.46L Liquid 0 Service Industries ------------ Liquid 40.95L Liquid 65.289L Agricultural Public Health Auto industries Transportation/U tilities Home/Businesse s ----------- Liquid Liquid Liquid Liquid Solid Solid Construction Solid 336.414L 14084.2L 158818.5 51L 6183139.
696L 0.792 kg 1240.688 kg 0 Consumer Chemicals Other chemicals Petroleum products Petroleum products Consumer Chemicals Other chemicals Petroleum products Industrial chemicals Petroleum products Petroleum products Consumer Chemicals Industrial chemicals Industrial chemicals Other chemicals Pesticide Pesticide Petroleum products Petroleum products Consumer Chemicals Fertilizer Industrial chemicals Transportation and Storage Wholesale & retail; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles 76 Economic Activity Chemical Type Place of Use Industrial chemicals Pesticide Pesticide Petroleum products Consumer Chemicals Pesticide Service Industries Agricultural Public Health Auto industries Home/Businesse s Public Health Physical State Quantity Solid 231.02 kg Solid Solid Solid Semi- solid Semi- solid 8525.474 kg 8.82 kg 3 kg 0.368 kg 1.08 kg (Source: Government of SVG, 2013)) The demand for energy and the usage of chemicals (petrochemicals, industrial chemicals and crude) in SVG is limited due to the small land and population sizes, and absence of large industrial activities.
The country is dependent on the importation of petroleum products; gasoline (for transport) and diesel (transport and electricity generation), kerosene (cooking) and butane/LPG (cooking, water heating and industry) (St. Vincent and the Grenadines, 2010).

St. Vincent Electricity Services Limited (VINLEC) is the dominant power generation industry in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
There are however privately owned electricity systems that may supply diesel powered electricity to some parts of the islands within the Grenadines.

Table 3-5 summarizes the consumption of various fuels throughout the island (St. Vincent and the Grenadines, 2010).
Table 3-5: Fuel Consumption in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (2009) Fuel Tonnes of Oil Equivalent Diesel (VINLEC) Aviation Spirit Kerosene Hydro Propane Butane Diesel (transport et al) Gasoline (transport et al) TOTAL (Source: SVG Energy and Action Plan, 2010) 3.4 Storage of Chemicals and Related Issues 25549 5 598 1953 0.78 3074 38430 23299 92908.78 % 27.50 0.01 0.64 2.10 0.00 3.31 41.36 25.08 100.00 77 The agricultural sector plays an important role within the economy in SVG and the importance of proper storage and warehousing facilities for chemicals are important.
The Agricultural Input Warehouse supplies fertilizers in bulk at a reduced cost to farmers.

The fertilizers are imported from the United States and sold locally.

There is also no overstocking of chemicalsas the company operates based on the supply and demand of the existing market.

All chemicals (namely pesticides and fertilisers) are stored at the warehouse, an enclosed ventilated room, outfitted with an extractor in order to eliminate any noxious smells.
The chemicals though stored within the same room, are seggregrated in various sections.

Due to the lack of a management framework specific to these chemicals, they are often disposed along with domestic waste or into public drainage systems (L Francois 2014, pers comm.).

3.5 Transport of Chemicals and Related Issues The smaller islands of the Grenadines do not have the capability to handle chemical wastes.

As a result, chemical wastes are transported to the mainland.

St, Vincent.
St, Vincent.

These wastes are stored in containers and packed into a truck lined with absorbents in order to prevent leakage.

The truck is then transported via a cargo vessel to the mainland, where it is dismounted and transports the waste to the Diamond landfill.

Agrochemicals (namely pesticides and fertilisers) being transported to the Agriculture Input warehouse is shipped to St. Vincent in containers via a cargo vessel.

The containers contain chemicals which are sealed in boxes and shrink wrapped.
At the port, trucks collect the containers where they are transported to the warehouse.

The roads in SVG are not in the best conditions as a result of heavy rainfall and the lack of consistent upgrades.

Despite this, the transport of chemicals across the country is not severely hampered.

Transportation issues may however arise when during exceptional rainfall, landslides may occur, making roads impassable.
3.6 Chemicals and Waste management St. Vincent and the Grenadines faces challenges with respect to the quantification of the chemical waste generated and as such very little data exists on waste management.

Assumptions were necessary in order to determine the types of chemical wastes expected.
These include wastes produced from the industrial and agricultural sectors In SVG, there are recurring reported incidents of illegal dumping of industrial waste particularly waste oils in the rivers and streams (seeTable 3-6).. Table 3-7 shows the quantities of some waste chemicals which were imported into the country in 2011, the majority (17.72 metric tonnes) of which were identified as waste oils.
The importation of these wastes may be explained by Section 33(I) of the Waste Management Act 2000 of SVG which makes provisions for specific wastes to be imported into the country.

These include some of the wastes governed by the Marine Pollution Management Act, 2000, and generated on 78 board any aircraft, and material other than hazardous wastes imported under conditions prescribed by regulations for any manufacturing process.

At VINLEC, there are currently no waste to energy initiatives.
Waste chemicals namely used oils, cleaning agents and cooling agents, are temporarily stored in a holding tank in an open area at each of the two diesel generation stations on the mainland; Cane Hall and Lowmans Bay.

Once per month the waste chemicals are collected and disposed by a private company.

Waste chemicals collected from the facilities on the other islands are placed in drums and ferried via a cargo vessel to the maninland where they are transported to either of the facilities aforementioned.
There the waste chemicals are added to the stock already in the holding tank.

Over the last decade, solid waste management in St. Vincent and the Grenadines has been expanded island-wide.

Still, concerns persist over indiscriminate dumping in drains, gullies and rivers.

The presence of micro-plastics including marine debris and the continuing large-scale burning of vehicle tyres poses increased environmental challenges.
Although no data are available, technical experts consider that the rodent population (rats and mice) has grown well beyond acceptable limits.
79 Table 3-6: Types of Chemical Waste Generated and Probable Sources Applied Practiced Method Type of Hazardous of Disposal containing chemicals Waste Source of Hazardous Waste Motor vehicle repair and service Printing and allied facilities Paint application Laboratories/colleges and schools Pesticide storage and application Spent lubricating and transmission oils, solvents, including leaded gasoline kerosene, diesel Spent dyes, organic solvents Organic solvents, pigments containing heavy metals including lead, mercury cadmium Solvents, reagents( organic and inorganic), acids Pesticides and contaminated containers Wood Furniture Manufacturing Solvents/ dye paints , glues Burial with domestic waste, disposal into public drains To landfill Burial with domestic waste, disposal into public drains Drain Disposal along with domestic waste- or into public drainage systems.
Drain (Source: Government of SVG, 2013) Table 3-7: Import of Waste Chemicals into SVG (2011) Chemical type Quantity imported in 2011 (metric tons) Value imports for 2011 (US$) Chemicals polychlorinated (PCBs) and terphenyls containing biphenyls polychlorinated 8.8 10, 085 Other waste oils 17.72 53, 360 Waste organic solvents Total (Source: Department of Statistics, 2011) St. Vincent and the Grenadines also suffers from riverine and coastal pollution as a direct result of land-based sources including agrochemical leaching, direct agrochemical influx, industrial and commercial discharge, 187 63, 631 0.074 26.59 80 liquid wastes and run-off from construction sites (Global Environment Facility, 2014) which contribute to the chemical waste stream in the country.
At the national landfill of SVG, records show approximately 2000 liters, 33, 000 liters and 14, 800 cubic meters of laboratory chemicals, used engine oil and compost production respectively were disposed in during the period 2011 to 2012.

At the landfill, the chemicals are intombed and buried.This limited data imply that volumes of those and other chemical wastes remain unaccounted in the country, and it is not known if environmentally sound methods were utilised in their disposal.
3.6.1 Obsolete Chemical Stockpiles, Chemical Waste Sites and Contaminated Sites As a result of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Prevention and Disposal of Obsolete Pesticides Programme, the quantity of obsolete pesticides in St Vincent and the Grenadines in 2000 was recorded as 1,330 Kgs (Food and Agriculture Organisation, 2002).A survey of obsolete and unwanted or banned pesticides was also conducted in 2013 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Industry, Fisheries and Rural Transformation, which identified the existence of 3.2 tons of obsolete and unused chemicals on the Island.
The major problem which these obsolete and unused chemicals present is the eventual release of POPs and chemicals into the ground and atmosphere, owing to inadequate and unsuitable storage conditions.

In addition, the nature of containers used to store these chemicals do not ensure their integrity and containment (Government of SVG, 2015).

There are no standardized or approved methods for the disposal of obsolete chemicals in SVG.
It was reported that the storage of pesticides and other chemicals are generally the responsibility of the private entities that either import or use them (Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, 2013).

3.6.2 Technical Facilities for Recovery and Recycling of Chemicals In St. Vincent and the Grenadines, there are limited organisations involved in the recycling or recovery of chemical wastes in the country.

One such organisation is the All Island Recycling Facility.
This facility recycles aluminium and beverage cans, plastics and non-ferrous products including copper, aluminium, stainless steel, radiators and batteries.

Aluminium cans and plastic bottles are shredded by granulators and exported to Florida and to countries in the Far East.

Plastic items are also recycled.

To facilitate the collection process, advertisements are broadcasted in order to encourage persons to bring tins and plastic items to the recycling station.
Non-ferrous items are brought to the factory.

In rural areas, women collect and sell bottles to the facility; the amount of money earned is dependent on the grade of plastic collected and whether the bottles are clean or dirty (clean bottles are worth more than dirty ones).

At the facility, bottles are weighed and sorted according to size and colour.

Bottles are crushed once weekly.

81 The capacity to treat chemical waste is listed in Table 3-8 below.
Table 3-8: Facilities for Recovery and Recycling of Chemicals and related waste Location of Facility Recovery Operation Description of Facility/Operati on or Process Does the facility treat imported wastes?
(yes/no) Diamond Landfill Canouan, Union Island, Bequia Landfills All Island Recycling Burial in concrete pits Burial in landfill and covered Recycling of bottles, cans and non- ferrous products Chemical Waste No Household, Commercial, Vegetative Waste Plastic recycling No No Exportation (Source: Country Analytical Report Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: Solid Waste Regional/Evaluation, 2002) 3.6.3 Capacity for Disposal of Chemicals St. Vincent and the Grenadines is limited in its ability to treat with chemical waste which may arrive at the nations’ landfills.
In the smaller islands of the Grenadines, chemical waste is transported to the mainland, St. Vincent where the waste is buried at the Diamond landfill.

The burial process involves the digging of a hole which is casted in concrete.

The chemicals are then placed within the structure and buried.

Hazardous and unknown waste also follow the same burial process.

In Bequia, commercial and household waste such as boxes, paper and general stationery are compacted and buried at the landfill.
In Canouan, waste from the hotel and (kitchen waste and sporting equipment) and construction industries are handled along with the regular household waste.

PET bottles, cans recycling and the extraction of copper are also performed privately on a small scale.

At Union Island, the majority of waste handled consists of household and commercial waste.
3.7 Unintentionally Generated Chemicals In St. Vincent and the Grenadines, chemicals are released into atmosphere as a result of several anthropogenic activities which may occur within the country.

These activities include burning for agriculture, energy and solid waste management purposes.

Burning facilitates the clearing of land in agriculture, production of charcoal and solid waste management activities.
Other sources include automobiles, commercial and household heating and cooking, uncontrolled combustion, production and use of chemical and consumer goods.

Table 3-9. summarizes some of the main sources of unintentionally generated 82 chemicals in the country.

The exact levels generated are currently unknown because they are not monitored on a regular basis.
Table 3-9: Sources of unintentional emissions in SVG Chemical Type Dioxins and Furans PCBs Source Clearing of land for agriculture, charcoal production, solid waste management activities, automobile emmissions, production and use of consumer and chemical goods Adhesives, carbonless copy paper, wax extenders, dyes, compressor oil, asphalt roofing material, plasticizers, space heaters, lubricants, inks, pesticides and rubberizes (Sources: The Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Transformation, Forestry, Fisheries &Industry and The Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment, 2015.)
3.8 Assessment Chemical Management is important in St. Vincent and the Grenadines to ensure environmental sustainability, eco-health and eco-security, a prerequisite for poverty alleviation.

The country does not manufacture chemicals but imports, uses and disposes of them.
These include pesticides (especially for the Banana Industry), industrial chemicals(which include dyes, catalysts, anti knock preparations) and consumer chemicals (which include soaps, lubricants, essential oils, perfumes and cosmetics).
If chemicals are not managed adequately, the threats to human health and the environment can include contamination of local consumers through residue in foods and water, direct pesticide exposure of agricultural, factory and transport workers, exposure to pesticides as a result of accidents in storage and transportation, accidental ingestion resulting in poisoning, occupational and residential hazards in furniture and automobile workshops, occupational exposures in various manufacturing facilities and transport accidents, fires and disasters.
VINLEC is the dominant power generation industry in SVG and uses diesel as its primary fuel source in the generation of electricity.

Waste management, inclusive of the proper disposal of chemicals (e.g.

used oils) poses a challenge for SVG as these chemicals are often disposed along with domestic waste to landfills or into public drainage systems.

There are also insufficient records on quantities of chemical waste generated and disposed in SVG.
The responsibility of ensuring that chemicals do not present adverse effects to human health and the environment rests with various Ministries and government agencies through laws, regulations and guidelines.

Presently the activities of these bodies are inadequately coordinated, resulting in gaps and overlaps in the areas of importation, registration, use/handling and disposal, 83 compliance monitoring and enforcement and workers health and safety.
In addition to these are the overlapping of organizational responsibilities at national, regional and local levels, overly centralized functions and overly dispersed functions, and issues related to establishment of priorities and the phasing of programmes.

The production, use, storage and disposal of chemicals used within these sectors as well as the lack of appropriate legislation to regulate the life cycle of these chemicals are contributing to negative impacts to the environment and human health.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines is now faced with the challenge of finding lasting and sustainable solutions to the complex problems surrounding the efficient and responsible use, storage and disposal or re-conversion of chemicals and their waste products.
Deep concern over global traffic of hazardous chemicals has spurred international acceptance of the Rotterdam Convention as it provides an early warning on dangerous chemicals and addresses the export and import of hazardous chemicals and, by implication their use and regulation.

The Convention deals with chemicals that are banned and severely restricted in some countries (particularly in industrialized regions) but that are still exported to other countries (particularly in developing regions).
St. Vincent and the Grenadines has ratified the Rotterdam Convention and updating the country’s national chemical profile creates an authoritative document which serves as a basis to strengthen the national system for the management of chemicals throughout their life cycle, meeting the necessary obligations under the Convention.
84 Chapter 4: Data Viability for Chemicals Management This chapter provides an overview of the information management capacity of SVG related to the sound management of chemicals, particularly the availability of data and its use for chemical risk reduction.
4.1 Overall Availability of Data for National Chemicals Management Access to information such as production, import or export statistics, hazardous waste data, inventory of chemical records, location of records, are vital to policy formulation and decision-making for the sound management of chemicals.

As demonstrated by this study, minimum data on chemicals are currently available, and the accessibility of the chemical data is very restricted.
Data is found scattered in the various agencies with limited access (other agencies do not even know which agency has the correct data or where certain data can be retrieved).

There is no data available on industrial accidents and occupational health and safety related incidents or accidents although the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) requires the incidents and accidents be reported.

Data on poisons for SVG do not exist.


Table 4-1 provides an overview of the availability of data for decision making and other activities that may be required as part of chemicals management programme.
Table 4-1: Sufficiency in Quality and Quantity of Available Information Pestic ides Data needed for/to Inventory control/import statistics Export control statistics Risk assessment Classification and labelling Registration Licensing Permitting Risk reduction decisions Accident preparedness/control Poisoning control Emission inventories Inspections and audits Y NA NA Y Y Y Y NA Y NA NA NA 85 Fert ilize rs & othe r Agr och emi cals Y NA NA Y Y Y Y NA N NA NA NA Ind ust rial Ch em ical s N NA NA Y NA NA NA NA N NA NA NA Con sum er Che mic als N NA NA Y NA NA NA NA N NA NA NA Che mical Wast es Phar mace utical s N NA NA NA NA Y NA N NA NA NA Y NA NA Y Y Y NA NA NA NA NA NA Workers information Public information (Source: Governement of SVG, 2013,) Y – Data exists Available Y Y Y Y NA NA NA NA NA NA Y Y N – No Data exists NA – Not 4.2 Sources of National Data, Access and Format Table 4-2 indicates the nature of national data related to chemicals management which is available and provides practical information on how to gain access to the data.
Table 4-2: Sources of National Data and their Access and Format Type of data Provides information on agricultural and household pesticides Hazard assessment; carcinogenicity Safe use of chemicals at work; preventions of industrial accidents Transport of dangerous goods;: marine pollution Risk assessment ; guidance for setting exposure limits; guide of safe use Chemicals assessment and management of environmental and health effects; cleaner production; awareness raising about accidents Chemicals- pharmaceuticals Location (s) Ministry of Agriculture – mostly the Plant Protection Unit Ministry of Health- Chief Medical Officer/ Environmental Management Unit Labour Department Customs Department Ministry of Health- Environmental Management Unit; Chief Medical Officer; Labour department Ministry of Health (Environmental Management Department (EMD); Office of the Chief Medical Officer; Labour Department; Ministry of Trade and Industry Ministry of Health ( Office of the Chief 86 Data source Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the UN Format Online International Agency for Research in Cancer (IARC) Restricted Access International Labour Organization (ILO) Restricted Access International Maritime organization (IMO) International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS/UNEP/ILO/WH O) United Nations Environmental Programme(UNEP) Restricted Access Restricted Access online World Health Organization (WHO) Restricted Access Location (s) Medical Officer, Pharmaceutical Department Labour Department Type of data and health effects Data source Format Safe use of chemicals at work; preventions of industrial accidents Restricted Access (Source: Government of SVG, 2013.)
4.3 Procedures for Collecting and Disseminating National/Local Data Companies using chemicals must obtain approval of their environmental and health practices from the SVG National Standards Institution and the Ministry of Health's Environmental Division.

Agriculture is a major economic sectorin SVG hence, the use of agrochemicals such as pesticides are prevalent.
Under the Draft Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control Act:        all pesticides and toxic chemicals manufactured or imported will be registered; all permitted activities in pesticides and toxic chemicals will be under licence or permit; pest control operators are regulated by a licensing scheme (Pest Control Operator Licence).
the sale, including storage and distribution for purposes of sale, of pesticides and toxic chemicals are also regulated by a licensing scheme (Dealer’s Licence); the storage and distribution for use of pesticides and toxic chemicals in activities other than sale, such as research, education, and agriculture are regulated by a licensing scheme (General Licence); licences are used to control the import and export of pesticides and toxic chemicals (Import and Export Licences); licences are also used to impose standards in premises in which pesticides and toxic chemicals are manufactured (Premises Licences); and The Monitoring of Chemicals will be performed through the self-monitoring measures (record keeping and reporting) and on-site inspections.
The Provision of public officers as inspectors (Pesticides and Toxic Chemical Inspectors) are given appropriate powers to monitor compliance with, and investigate breaches of provisions of the Act and regulations protecting human and animal health and safety, plant life and the environment.

87 St. Vincent and the Grenadines has a draft Chemical Management Policy Framework (2013) which will include the management of hazardous chemicals.
The four levels of chemical management which will be focused on are the importation/exportation, handling/transport, operation and the treatment/disposal of chemicals entering, leaving and within the country.

Policy considerations for each level are also included along with the agencies responsible for their execution.
4.4 Availability of International Literature and Database There is limited data derived from research conducted in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and as such, like most of the other countries in the Caribbean sub-region, SVG relies on international literature and guidance for its source of authoritative information for the sound management of chemicals.
Table 4-3 and 4-4 provide a detailed list on international literature and databases accessible within SVG, including location, in order to facilitate access to them.

Table 4-3: Availability of International Literature Literature Location (s) Who has access How to gain access SAICM Information Clearinghouse http://www.saicm.org/inde x.php?
menuid=36&pageid=251 Public Environmental Health Criteria Documents (WHO/IPCS) http://www.who.int/ipcs/publication s/ehc/en/index.html Public Concise International Chemical Assessment (WHO/IPCS) http://www.who.int/ipcs/p ublications/cicad/en/index.
html Public International Chemical Safety Cards (WHO/ILO) http://www.inchem.org/pa ges/icsc.html Public Decision Guidance Documents for Prior Informed Consent Chemicals (FAO/UNEP) http://www.pic.int/TheCon vention/Chemicals/AnnexII IChemicals/tabid/1132/lan guage/en-US/Default.aspx Public Free access via the internet Free access via the internet Free access via the internet Free access via the internet Free access via the internet FAO/WHO Pesticides Safety Data Sheets http://www.who.int/ipcs/p ublications/pds/en/index.ht Public Free access via 88 Documents from the FAO/WHO Joint Meeting on Pesticide Residues Documents from the FAO/WHO Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives GHS ml http://www.who.int/ipcs/p ublications/jmpr/en/ Public http://www.who.int/ipcs/p ublications/jecfa/en/index.
html Public http://www.unece.org/tran s/danger/publi/ghs/ghs_we lcome_e.html Public Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) http://www.msds.com Public OECD Guidelines for the Testing of Chemicals http://www.oecd.org/docu ment/40/0,3343,en_2649_ 34377_37051368_1_1_1_ 1,00.html Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) Principles (OECD) http://www.oecd.org/docu ment/63/0,3343,en_2649_ 34381_2346175_1_1_1_1, 00.html Good Manufacturing Practice Principles (WHO) http://www.who.int/medici nes/areas/quality_safety/q uality_assurance/productio n/en/index.html Public Public Public the internet Free access via the internet Free access via the internet Free access via the internet Free access via the internet Free access via the internet Free access via the internet Free access via the internet (Source: Government of SVG, 2013) Table 4-4: Availability of International Databases Literature Location (s) Who has access How to gain access ILO CIS http://www.ilocis.org/ WHO/IPCS INCHEM http://www.inchem.org/ WHO/IPCS INTOX http://www.intox.org/ Public Public Public Access via internet Access via internet Access via 89 WHO/IPCS Human Health Risk Assessment Toolkit: Chemical Hazards IRPTC http://www.who.int/ipcs/methods/harmoniza tion/areas/ra_toolkit/en/index.html (subscripti on) Public http://www.chem.unep.ch/irptc/irptc/databa nk.html Public Chemicals Abstract Services Database http://www.cas.org/ Public (subscripti on) Public Global Information Network on Chemicals (GINC) STN Database http://www.oshweb.com/owd/owd01.nsf/s/1 81-01 http://www.cas.org/products/stnfamily/index.
html Public internet Access via internet Access via internet Access via internet Access via internet Access via internet Access via internet http://www.trademap.org/ Public (subscripti on) Trade map - Trade statistics for international business development (chemical import/export data) (Source: Government of SVG, 2013) 4.5 National Information Exchange Systems and IT Capacity The Freedom of Information Act was passed in December 2003.
This Act gives rights of access to official documents of the government and public authorities to members of the public and provide for connected matters.

Its main objective is the provision of rights to the general public to obtain access information from public authorities relating to their operations, and ensure that rules and practices affecting them are readily available (Ballantyne, 2003).
The citizens of SVG would therefore be entitled to access information concerning local industries or companies in order to ensure their operations involving the use of chemicals are performed in such a way so as to not endanger their lives or the environment in which they live.

The Information Technology Services Division (ITSD) is the main ICT policy, advisory and technical maintenance services provider to the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Several major functional Units are integrated under the ITSD banner which can also facilitate the dissemination of information as it relates to aspect of chemical management such as awareness and education (Ministry for Telecommunications, Science, Technology and Innovation, 2010).

These include: 90    the Web and Internet Content Unit which designs, maintains and promotes the Government’s and national web presence.
The Unit maintains the Government Web site consistent with the Freedom of Information and Privacy Acts.
The Intranet is geared to providing public servants with a range of electronic services which improve efficiency the E-Mail, Internet and Intranet Network Services Unit provides public servants with professional email, Internet and Intranet services and a means for information to be disseminated throughout the Public Service and through which clients can communicate with officials the development and upgrading of new software application and content creation where required by departments or where deemed necessary; and providing advice to ministries on the appropriateness of ICT and the business sector.
4.6 Assessment The data availability for chemicals in consumer goods as well as waste chemicals is extremely limited in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

The distribution of the existing data locally is a difficult processand the capacity of the country to access and collect this data is very limited.
In many cases the quality of the data is questionable due to variations in methodologies for collection.Data are also held independently by different ministries, agencies and the private sector and the majority of information is only shared upon a formal request.

Table 4-1 summarises the availability of information for pesticides, fertilizers, consumer and industrial chemicals, chemical wastes and pharmaceuticals in SVG.
The unwillingness of companies to divulge the necessary data relevant to their individual handling with chemicals along with the outdated existing ICT infrastructure act as hindrances to the management of chemicals.

The accessibility to international data is readily available via the internet, and ministries/agencies as well as companies within the private sector may have the required expertise in house to interpret and apply the information.

Currently there are no national databases on chemicals in SVG.
Access to international databases such as TOXNET and the eChemPortal established under the European Chemicals Agency give information on chemical properties, toxicity and access to safety data sheets.

Strengthening mechanisms to gather information needs to be enforced but require a lot of ground work in gathering the necessary information.

It may be of greater benefit to create a data pool for chemicals at a regional level to alleviate repetition and conserve the limited resource base in the region.
This will involve the implementation of regional polices to accommodate this system.

Emphasis should also be made to include within the formal education system as means to disseminate chemical management information as there is a 91 notable lack of knowledge as to the risks involved in the daily use of chemicals products.
92 Chapter 5: Infrastructural Capability for Managing Chemicals This Chapter provides an overview of the technical infrastructure including analytical capacity related to the sound management of chemicals.

5.1 Overview of Laboratory Capacity St. Vincent and the Grenadines has very few laboratories within the country with limited capabilities to support/facilitate the overall management of chemicals.
As a result, the country has to rely on the laboratory services of regional institutions, namely the Caribbean Regional Drug Testing Laboratory and the Caribbean Public Health Agency, in order to conduct tests they may require.Table 5-1 summarizes the laboratory capacity related to regulatory chemical analysis and Table 5-2 focuses on the monitoring capability and ability to support health and environmental surveillance.
Table 5-1: Overview of the Laboratory Infrastructure for Regulatory Chemical Analysis Name Location Kingstown Equipment/Analytical Capabilities Testing of chemicals (agrochemicals) Accreditation Certified GLP No No No No No No No No Kingstown Kingstown Basic microbiological analyses, sensory assessment, Drug testing Kingstown Medical testing St. Vincent Bureau of Standards Fisheries Division Laboratory Forensic Drug Laboratory Ministry of Health Wellness and the Environment 93 Table 5-2: Overview of the Laboratory Infrastructure for Monitoring and Analysis Name Location Equipment/Analytic al Capabilities Accreditatio n Certifie d GLP Purpose (a) Perform microbiological and pharmacological tests on samples of drugs submitted by any participating Government and report the results thereof to that Government.
(b) Perform biological availability tests on selected types of drugs.

(c) Investigate the stability of drugs under the conditions of storage prevailing in the Region.

(d) Establish liaison with all appropriate agencies interested in drug testing and provide information and advisory services to support the activities of the drug control officials in the Region.
Testing relating to Medical Bacteriology, Virology, Parasitology and Entomology Jamaica CRTDL (Caribbean Regional Drug Testing Laboratory ) Port of Spain CARPHA (Caribbean Public Health Agency) 94 ISO NO ASTM International Codex Alimentarius CROSQ – CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality Public laboratory providing services both of a clinical and public health nature.
Contribute to the effective functioning of national health surveillance and care systems ISO 17025 Contributes to improving the health status of Caribbean people by working with and Name Location Equipment/Analytic al Capabilities Accreditatio n Certifie d GLP Purpose advancing the capability of CARPHA Member States in laboratory technology and related public health disciplines Deliver services in a mostly consistent manner in the disciplines of Microbiology , Haematology , Clinical Chemistry, Immuno- haematology , Serology, Cytology and Histology.
Water quality Testing Milton Cato Pathology Laboratory Central Water and Sewage Authority (CWSA) Bottlers (St. Vincent) Limited Kingstown Testing relating to NO NO Microbiology, Haematology, Clinical Chemistry, Immuno- haematology, Serology and Cytology and Histology Kingstown Water Quality Analyses NO NO Campden Park NO NO 5.2 Information Systems and Computer Capabilities The Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines is currently pursuing investment in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector.
The importance of ICT has been recognized by the Government as it provides for the development of every modern and progressive society and allows for incorporation into the global information economy.Most 95 Government officesin SVG have access to computers and to the internet however; internet access may be limited due to faulty services.

ICT is also used by those employed in the non-ICT sectors within the country.
These sectors include (Ministry for Telecommunications, Science, Technology and Innovation, 2010):      the Judicial system which utilises ICT to facilitate the administration of the Courts such as reporting, sentencing, docket scheduling and warrants; the Financial Sector which utilises ICT to manage tax collection, and supports the Customs Division; the Agriculture Sector which utilises ICT to develop a national agriculture production and marketing information system to provide market information and intelligence to the sector; the Health Sector which can be assisted by ICT in the management of inventory and the provision of statistical information.
ICT is also being introduced into various medical institutions at a larger scale including the provision of patient administration and medical records; the Educational Sector.

Although there is currently no curriculum which incorporates IT at primary and secondary school level, and limited at the tertiary level, the process of connecting schools has accelerated within the last 3 years.
The development of the non-ICT sectors within the countries assist in the regulation, monitoring and operations of chemical management in the country.
The objectives of The National ICT Strategy and Action Plan of St. Vincent and the Grenadines (2010 – 2015) which may be relevant to the sound management of chemicals in the country include the enhancement of legislation and regulatory framework to embrace ICT nationwide, the integration of Government with all appropriate information and services online and knowledge effectively managed by 2015; and the effective but safe management of computer and waste.
5.3 Assessment There are few laboratories, none accredited, with some capability with respect to monitoring of chemicals.

However the lack of training and laboratory instrumentation makes it difficult to carry out minimal testing and analysis for chemical management.The Caribbean Regional Drug Testing Laboratory in Jamaica is frequently used to carry outany required works need to be done by the Ministries locally.
The SVG Bureaus of Standards possesses the most equipped local laboratory within the country.

In the laboratory assessment of the SVG Bureau of Standards it was reported that the existing laboratories lacked some of the necessary equipment and staff personnel required for the overall operation (The Caribbean Environmental Health Institute, n.d.).

Despite this, the overall performance of the chemical and microbial laboratories was deemed sufficient in the various tests and monitoring activities conducted.
The SVG Bureau of Standards is recognized as the body responsible for the creation of an environment of standards, quality assurance and metrology in SVG.

CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) is the regional centre for promoting efficiency and competitive production in goods and services, through the process of standardization and the verification of quality.
In 2010, the Bureauof Standards collaborated 96 with the CROSQ to host a two day workshop entitled “Laboratory Quality Management Systems (ISO/IEC17025)”.

The purpose of this workshop was to raise the standards of the various laboratories across SVG in both the private sector as well as in Government Institutions in order for themto be properly accredited.
The laboratories participating in the workshop were the SVG Bureau of Standards, the Forensic Drug Laboratory, Central Water and Sewage Authority (CWSA), Bottlers Limited (JU-C), the Fisheries Division, Ministry of Health and the Environment, the Plant Protection Unit, and the Ministry of Telecommunications, Science, Technology and Industry (CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality, 2010).

This workshop initiated the need for the development of a centralized and accredited laboratory in SVG.
97 Chapter 6: Emergency Preparedness, Response and Follow-up This chapter provides an overview of the capacity for preparedness, response to and follow-up of emergencies involving chemicals.

6.1 Chemical Emergency Planning The St. Vincent and the Grenadines National Oil Spill Contingency Plan was drafted by the Marine Pollution and Oil Spills Management Committee in 1989.
This plan envisaged the coordinated response of the committee which comprised members from the National Emergency Management Organisation (Lead Agency), the Ministry of National Security (the Ministry of Lead Agency);) and the SVG Coast Guard (Spill Notification Point; Response Agency and the National Operational Contact (under MARPOL)).
In 1997, this Plan was redrafted as the National Pollution Contingency Plan to meet international Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation standards and updated further in 2009.

This Plan is a subsidiary part of the existing national framework for preparedness and response to hazards as mandated by the National Emergency and Disaster Management Act No.

15 of 2006 (RAC-REMPEITC, 2009).


The National Implementation Plan for the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Polutants (2015) was created as part of the commitment of SVG to reduce and eliminate the unintentional release of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and protect human health and the environment (The Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Transofrmation, Forestry, Fisheries and Industry et.

al, 2015).
al, 2015).

Individual agencies such as the Forestry Department and Fisheries Division are also working to put mechanisms in place to deal with disasters that could affect resources under their authority, with possible effects on areas outside national jurisdiction.

Regional contingency planning is facilitated by agencies such as the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA).
The National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) is the authority responsible for the coordination of all national activities related to emergency/disaster preparedness, response and recovery in SVG.

NEMO’s role facilitates the preparation of response and recovery plans and hazard mitigation programmes by agencies having principal responsibility in those areas.

The guiding principle is that of Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM) (National Health Disaster Plan, 2011).
St. Vincent and the Grenadines also has a 2011 National Health Disaster Plan (updated in 2012) which forms an integral part of the National Disaster Plan and follows the guidelines and protocols established by NEMO.

The overall purpose of this plan is the identification of actions to be undertaken by the Health Sector Department in order to reduce disaster risks and respond to emergencies and disasters.
This plan caters to a variety of potential hazards which may occur in SVG and has among its objectives: preparedness, mitigation and recovery measures and mechanisms.

Figure 6-1 summarises theResponse Mechanism for SVG as provided by the 2011 National Health Disaster Plan.

The Plan utilises three levels of response of increasing severity; Level I (First Respondents), Level II and Level III (National Disasters).
98 ( Source: Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment, 2011) Figure 6-1: Emergency Responses based on graduated Chemical Spills Scenarios 6.2 Chemical Incident Response St. Vincent and the Grenadines has a draft National Pollution Contingency Plan (2009) in order to deal with oil spills within the country’s territory.

The response agency dealing with oil spills with this mandate is the SVG coastguard.
The coastguard has a small fleet of patrol vessels, one of which has a reasonable deck area that could be used to carry and deploy response equipment.

However, there is currently no government owned specialized equipment in SVG.

Chevron West Indies Limited and SOL EC Limited operate terminals and store fuel in Kingstown and hold a small stock of pollution response equipment comprising booms and skimmers sufficient to handle a Tier 1 spill at its facility.
Chevron West Indies is a member of the Clean Caribbean and Americas (CCA) and would rely on their resources in the event of a major oil spill.

The Response Policy of this Plan states the criteria for the use of chemical dispersants which was derived from The Caribbean Islands Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co- operationContingency Plan (1992).

The country’s contingency plan also states that due to severe problems of erosion, manual-cleaning methods must be used on sand beaches.
In order to protect the few remaining mangroves in St. Vincent and more extensive mangroves on the island of the Grenadines, minimal clean-up should be carried out in these areas and cleaning of rocky areas should be executed manually (REMPEITC-Carib, 2009).
The National Disaster Plan(2005) of SVG assigns responsibilities for disaster response and planning among national ministries and private sector organizations, and provides specific plans for a variety of hazard profiles including hurricane, flood and volcanic activity and chemical releases.

The plan provides a strong framework for committee participation at various levels including the participation of local emergency management committees.
The 99 response mechanism is intricately tied to the type of hazard or threat and involves the following:  Alert and notification (call out procedures)  Activation and deactivation  Mobilisation and deployment  Resource allocation   Scene stabilisation  Triage and treatment  Transport and hospital care Incident management procedures 6.3 Chemical Incident Follow-up and Evaluation The draft 2011 National Health Disaster Plan has a Post Disaster Response Plan which provides an overview of the actions to be carried out by the Chief Medical Officer and the the designated committee after a disaster has occurred.
In accordance with this Plan, all Ministry of Health senior staff, doctors, nurses, environment health officers and administrators, including those on leave at the time must report for duty to their assigned area.

If the assigned area is not accessible, they will report to the health facility nearest to their location at the time of the disaster.
Additionally, the Chief Medical Officer in consultation with the Permanent Secretary (PS) activates the Health Emergency Operation Centre in accordance with the standing procedures and gives the Director of Emergency Operations full authority to direct the emergency operations; ensures that the Ministry is represented at the NEMO by its representative or his/her alternate and ensures that meetings are called daily or as often as necessary to receive reports, evaluate the situation and plan further action.
The Post Disaster Response Committee, among its responsibilities, determines and maps areas and populations that are affected by the disaster; determines the extent of the disaster from reports received and by conducting actual surveys of the areas is necessary; establishes means of communication with senior health personnel in the disaster area and assesses reports of casualties and evaluates the ability of local health staff to deal with the situation.
It also arranges for the deployment of additional health personnel into the area if necessary and alerts hospitals and other facilities outside the area to receive casualties if necessary.

The Permanent Secretary and Health Disaster Co-ordinator have the responsibilities to call and prepare for the meeting of the Standing Disaster Preparedness Committee in January of each year and carry out and arrange follow-up actions as necessary.
The National Insurance Scheme of St. Vincent and the Grenadines also requires that incidents and accidents be reported.

This data is however unavailable concerning the number and severity of accidents occurring in the industries.

6.4 Assessment A qualitative risk assessment conducted for SVG as part of the 2011 draft National Health Disaster Plan determined the country’s risk to various types of identified hazards.
Among the potential hazards assessed, the risk of a chemical release poses a threat as a result of the release of toxic gases.

Although it was stated that the country has no previous records of significant releases of toxic chemicals, it was determined that chemical releases can potentially 100 occur at any time and pose a medium to high severity impact on citizens and the environment .
These releases may derive from volcanic eruptions, or as a result of the destruction of infrastructure during landslides which may occur several times during the year.

Though the frequency of a vocanic eruption is low, toxic and flammable gases may be released during such an event.

Additionally, major transportation accidents (land, sea and air) and oil fires may contribute towards the release of toxic chemicals into the atmosphere.
The risk of such threats are increased because the islands within the Grenadines do not have the necessary facilities in order to deal with chemical waste and as such have to rely on the transportation of the chemicals to the mainland, St. Vincent which is better equipped at the landfill.

The risk of explosions or fires poses a threat due to excessive heat and/or concussive forces that can lead to death and infrastructural damage.
No industrial risks were identified due to the lack of industries in the country.

However health facilities in the country store and use explosive gases.

The severity of this risk was ranked as low to medium.

Acts of terrorism may also introduce explosive hazards to St. Vincent and the Grenadines and result in death and injuries to masses.

Though the frequency of such an event was identified as low, the severity was ranked as medium to high.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines has very limited measures in place to handle such events.

One of the main responses systems is the Emergency Response system: The Response Policy of the National Oil Policy Contingency Plan; the criteria for the use of dispersants as laid out in the Caribbean Island OPRC Plan.

Additionally, the Response Agency to deal with Oil Spills is the St Vincent and the Grenadines Coast Guard.
Based on the above, it is crucial that there be an Action Plan specifically built for the Emergency Response that is to be carried out in the event of Chemical incidents both on land as well as at sea.

The draft Chemical Policy 2013 of SVG seeks to address the need for the implementation of a Chemical management Plan forthe country.
The goal for the policy identifies an appropriate national goal for chemicalsmanagement, and defines objectives and policies in respect of the sectors for which regulatory control is considered to be required.
101 Chapter 7: Chemical Awareness and Understanding This chapter gives an overview of the mechanisms available to provide information to workers and the general public concerning the potential risks associated with chemicals and the capacity for training and education of target groups affected by chemicals.
7.1 Awareness and Understanding of Chemical Safety Issues Although there is no national policy at present in SVG on Occupational Health and Safety (OHS), the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines is in the process of drafting an OHS legislation to replace the outdated Factories Act, Chapter 335 (1955), revised edition 1990.
An OHS committee was set up to examine the ILO CARICOM model on Occupational Health Safety and the Working Environment and, the recommendations from the committee with respect to the terms and conditions in the model law would be incorporated into the OHS bill.
The Factories Act (1955) does not address specifically whether workers have the right to remove themselves from work situations that endanger health or safety without jeopardy to their continued employment, but it stipulates conditions under which factories must be maintained.

Failure to comply with these regulations would constitute a breach, which might provide legal cover to a worker who refused to work under these conditions.
Provisions for workers’ health have been incorporated into a health sector plan for St. Vincent.

Under this health sector plan, there is the proposed establishment of an OSH National Advisory Council.

With support from the Pan-American Health organisation (PAHO), national OSH educational projects have been designed for St. Vincent.

The National Insurance Scheme and the Ministry of Health hosted OSH workshops in 1998.
These workshops reported on the sound management of chemicals in the Caribbean and stated that public awareness, education and training is needed in SVG for chemical management at a national level.
The national capacity self-assessment conducted for the period 2005 to 2006 in SVG reported that one of the initiatives to raise public awareness on chemical safety issues is via the Enhance Communications Unit of the Ministry of Health and the Environment to sensitize communities on the effects of agrochemicals.
Additionally, the National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) has, among its responsibilities, to analyse and forecast the nature of potential hazards and develop and disseminate information packages in order to enhance the capability of individuals, government entities and the private sector to cope with emergencies.

The St. Vincent Electricity Services Limited has an OSH week annually and invites qualified personnel in the field to have discussions with workers.
This is part of the company’s efforts to ensure environmental awareness and vigilance by providing environmental training and sensitization to the employees 102 The All Island Recycling facility also hosts a school bottle collecting programme whereby plastics and cans are collected from schools and mangled on site.

These activities assist in raising awareness to students on the importance of recycling.
Recycle bins are also provided to the schools and communities to encourage persons to engage in environmentally sound methods of waste disposal.

103 7.2 Education and Training for Sound Management of Chemicals and Waste According to the National Capacity Self-Assessment conducted for the period 2005 to 2006 in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, much of the information designed for public education is reserved in the domain of academia and is not readily available to the general public.
Education of the public on issues relating to sustainable development and environmental management is scarce.
Initiatives mentioned in the National Capacity Self-Assessment specific to education relating to chemicals and wastes include:  education of the farming community on issues surrounding agro-   chemical use; the MAFF to have information sessions with farmers and community groups on the negative impacts of chemicals used in agricultural practices and promote alternative measures for good farming practices; and the provision of training for Pesticides Control Board members on knowledge of agrochemicals, chemical assessments, etc.
NEMO also has the responsibility to prepare communities to react promptly in order to save lives and protect property in the event that the island is impacted by a disaster or major emergency of any kind.

In this regard, the role of the National Emergency Organization is that of providing training for the various agencies involved in disaster management.
It is required to identify the skills necessary to implement national disaster management programmes and source the necessary trainers to prepare and conduct relevant training of relevant parties.

Chemical hazards are among the many hazards identified under the National Health Disaster Management Plan and as such training relevant to these hazards will be included.

In 2012, a two day chemical safety workshop was held in SVG.
The workshop participants included representatives from government ministries, statutory bodies and agencies, and the private sector including major importers of chemicals.

This workshop aimed to inform participants on the importance of chemical safety in the workplace, at home and in the wider community, as well as to promote general awareness of the importance of chemical safety communication tools and how to use them effectively.
A team from the Caribbean Environmental Health Institute (CEHI) conducted the Chemical Safety Workshop.
The workshop was intended for workers with a need to widen their general knowledge pertaining to chemical safety in their workplaces and targeted those who handled chemicals on a daily basis either in the procurement, use, handling or transportation and disposal, as well as persons who are responsible for guiding and educating other workers in the safe use and handling of the chemicals 104 7.3 Assessment Awareness and education programs are conducted by both government and non-governmental organisations within the country as part of each organisation’s individual social and environmental corporate responsibilities.
These programmes help to foster an attitude of awareness personal responsibility among employees and the general public.

Public awareness and education is crucial in SVG in its quest for an effective chemical management system.
This is because persons who are educated and/or sensitised to the impacts of chemicals and chemical wastes on the environment and their quality of health, will serve as the driving force required for the authorities in the country to implement or improve effective chemical management systems in the country.

105 Chapter 8: International Linkages This chapter describes national participation and involvement in international organisations and agreements concerned with the management of chemicals.
It also serves to identify opportunities for an integrated approach at a national level.

8.1 Cooperation and Involvement with International Organisations, Bodies and Agreements A number of organizations and agencies in SVG have established working relations and linkages to regional and international bodies which are concerned with various aspects of the sound management of chemicals.

Table 8-1 lists the international organizations involved with chemicals management and the related national activities.
Participation in these international organizations, bodies and agreements has been limited with certain focal points being more active than others.

Two major challenges encountered are that often times a single individual may be the focal point for several international and regional organizations and there is a very small pool of resource personnel that would allow the desired and required level of attention and follow up.
There are also several activities that, while they do not have a direct focus on chemical management, can provide indirect support in certain areas of integrated chemicals management.

Several of these activities are in the form of specific projects with specific time frames.

Table 8-2 shows the Participation in International Agreements/Procedures Related to Chemicals Management.
Table 8-1: Membership in International Organisations, Programmes and Bodies International Organisation/Programme/B ody Related National Activities UNEP WHO ILO UNDP World Bank 106 ODS Phase out plan 2010 Terminal phase-out management plan for CFC’s 2008 Pharmaceutical Country Profile Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Regional Global Harmonized System (GHS) Workshop for the Caribbean (2013) ODS Phase out plan 2010 Terminal phase-out management plan for CFC’s 2008 Climate Change Enabling Activitiy (Additional Financing for Capacity Building in Priority Areas) Enabling to Prepare its First National Communication in Response to its Commitment to UNFCCC Table 8-2: Participation in International Agreements/Procedures Related to Chemicals Management International Agreements SAICM Primary Responsible Agency (designation of focal point) Ministry Health, Wellness and the Environment Stockholm Convention Environmental Management Department, Ministry Health, Wellness and the Environment Rotterdam Convention Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment 107 Relevant National Implementation Activities Funding for project implementation to meet the initiatives under the different agreements and conventions.
MOU prepared reviewed and signed by the CEHI and Government of SVG Implementation of the; e.g.

public awareness to relevant stakeholders, schools etc.

Participation in the GEF-UNIDO project “Development and Implementation of a Sustainable Management Mechanism for POPs in the Caribbean”.

Participation in the FAO project “Disposal of Obsolete Pesticides, including POPs, Promotion of Alternatives and Strengthening Pesticides Management in the Caribbean”.
Develops policy, legislation, standards for environmental protection and conservation Implementation of projects related to the safe management of the chemicals subject to the Pic procedure via projects listed under the Stockholm Convention above, as relevant.
International Agreements Primary Responsible Agency (designation of focal point) Relevant National Implementation Activities Basel Convention Public Health Department, Montreal Protocol Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment National Ozone Unit, Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment Transmission of local chemical usage to the Secretariat for further use by the CRC, as required.

Develops policy, legislation, standards for environmental health.
Responsible for municipal waste collection and management of sanitary landfills.

Undertakes monitoring and enforcement of public health regulations.

Implementation of a national phase for hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs); e.g.

training of technicians, custom brokers etc.

Retrofitting of foam companies currently using HCFCs as an agent in production; Phase out of methyl bromide as a fumigant; Public awareness; schools, mall displays etc.

Purchase of ozone friendly equipment; e.g.


hydrocarbon leak detectors plan out Refrigerant Management Plan Develops National Action Plans for compliance with Montreal Protocol.
Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the UN Ministry of Agriculture – mostly the Plant Protection Unit Provides information on agricultural and household pesticides International Agency for Ministry of Health- Hazard assessment; 108 International Agreements Research in Cancer (IARC) International Labour Organization (ILO) International Maritime organization (IMO) International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS/UNEP/ILO/WHO) United Nations Environmental Programme(UNEP) World Health Organization (WHO) Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the UN Primary Responsible Agency (designation of focal point) Chief Medical Officer/ Environmental Management Unit Labour Department Customs Department Ministry of Health- Environmental Management Unit; Chief Medical Officer; Labour department Ministry of Health (Environmental Management Department (EMD); Office of the Chief Medical Officer; Labour Department; Ministry of Trade and Industry Ministry of Health ( Office of the Chief Medical Officer, Pharmaceutical Department Ministry of Agriculture – mostly the Plant Protection Unit Relevant National Implementation Activities carcinogenicity Safe use of chemicals at work; preventions of industrial accidents Transport of dangerous goods;: marine pollution Risk assessment ; guidance for setting exposure limits; guide of safe use Chemicals assessment and management of environmental and health effects; cleaner production; awareness raising about accidents Chemicals- pharmaceuticals and health effects Provides information on agricultural and household pesticides 8.2 Participation in Relevant Development and Technical Assistance Projects Table 8-3 summarises some of the activities undertaken by SVG as a result of its membership in the various international conventions and organisations.
The continued commitment to these initiatives will serve to benefit the country in its goal for an improvement in the chemical 109 management system.

So far, with FAO support, Caribbean countries have located nearly 300 tons of obsolete pesticides that include some of the most dangerous chemicals that have been banned internationally such as dieldrin and heptachlor.
This information is being used to plan a clean sweep of the region in order to safely dispose of all existing obsolete pesticides at an estimated cost of US$ 2 million (Food and Agriculture Association, 2013).

The GEF/UNIDO project was approved by the GEF Council in 2013 and seeks to enable the region to reduce and/ or eliminate the threat of POPs as part of the obligations under the Stockholm convention, within the context and realities of eight (8) Caribbean countries, inclusive of SVG.
This project is expected to be completed by 2018.
Table 8-3: Participation as Recipient in Relevant Technical Assistance Projects Name of Project Relevant Activities National Contact Point International/ Bilateral Donor Agency involved Japan’s Assistance Program MAFF Caribbean Fisheries Co- Management Project between fishermen and administration Program on support for fisheries and fishing community development Testing a Prototype Caribbean Regional Fund for Wastewater Management (CReW) GEF MOHWE/CW ASA of coastal Training Program in the field of fishery development Improved marine and coastal ecosystems functioning as a wastewater result investments and policy reforms; Improved well-being of livelihood people whose depends on coastal and marine ecosystems; Enhanced pollution control in the Caribbean Basin; Reduction in the incidence of waterborne diseases; Increased ratification and implementation of the Land Based Sources of Marine (LBS Pollution Protocol Protocol); Institutional strengthening Project on UNEP-GEF MOHWE 110 Name of Project International/ Bilateral Donor Agency involved National Contact Point Relevant Activities Development of National Biosafety Frameworks Solid Waste Management Improvement Project WB/CDB/GEF CWASA/MO HWE FAO MAFF Country Programme Framework (CPF) 2012 – 2015 For St. Vincent and the Grenadines Agricultural Sector 8.3 Assessment 111 of for agencies addressing biosafety through training of personnel 4.
Enhancing inter- coordination sectoral the between agencies/stakeholders in biosafety – Technical and Scientific Authority 5.

Public Education, Awareness and Involvement issues relating to biosafety and the development of the NBF Improve waste management through the establishment upgrading of landfills, the provision of equipment and the strengthening of the legal framework.
In addition, work commenced on the Windward Water Supply Project which is aimed at improving the quality of water supplied to the Windward Coast and the south-eastern part of island of St. Vincent.

To entrepreneurship.

II.

To boost production in crops, livestock, forestry and fisheries.

III.

To conserve the natural environment as well as to increase biodiversity.

The major responsibility of the State is to provide the enabling environment and the right incentives.
Agricultural foster The CSDU within the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment is responsible for the implementation of the various multilateral environmental conventions that SVG has signed.
These include the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD), the Montreal Protocol, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the Cartagena Protocol on Bio safety as well as the Chemical-related conventions.

112 The government of SVG is involved in a series of agreements and international activities linked to the management of chemicals.
SVGis a member of the United Nations and several of its specialized agencies such as the ILO, UNEP, UNIDO, FAO and UNDP and has ratified the following Conventions:  Vienna Convention (1985) on substances that deplete the ozone layer;  Basel Convention (1989) on the Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Waste;  Stockholm Convention (2002) on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs);  Rotterdam Convention (2019) on Industrial Chemicals and Pesticides.
These international agencies assist developing countries and countries in transition with technical and financial resources to meet the requirements of the different conventions.

The international programs work with specific national counterparts or focal points appointed by the competent Secretariat and are responsible for aligning proposed activities with institutional planning.
As such, the degree of development of national implementation activities of international agreements varies between organisations in terms of priorities and resources.
The development of synergies between the different conventions is important as it improves the use of available resources through more coordinated national frameworks, institutional mechanisms and enforcement capacity dealing with chemicals and wastes, reduces cost of implementing the conventions through synergistic efforts and leads to raised profile of the issue at the national, regional and international levels which can result in increased resources to support chemicals and waste management programmes.
Further benefits that derive from the development of synergies include:  better coordinated technical assistance activities  better use of resources to support developing countries and countries   with economies in transition to implement the conventions the development of an integrated approach towards sound chemicals and waste management the opportunity to mainstream those issues into national development plans International cooperation with the ILO in the field of occupational safety and health in the Caribbean region has continued since the start of the 1980s.
The follow up to the 1995 Workshop should contribute to the implementation of the provisions of the ILO Chemicals Convention, 1990 (No.

170) and to eventual ratification thereof.

Additionally, the collaboration with the WHO has been positive in promoting several occupational safety and health initiatives.
113 Chapter 9: Availability of Resources for Chemical Management This chapter provides an overview of the human resources available within government Ministries and related agencies as well as non-governmental organisations to various aspects of chemicals management and highlights resources needed to strengthen the management of chemicals.
9.1 Resources available in Government Ministries/Institutions for Chemical Management Various government departments share the human resource element required to implement In two the provisions in the environmentally sound management of chemicals.

Departments/Units, there are designated officers with responsibility for chemical management related issues.
The Chief Plant Protection Officer is the focal point for SAICM while the Director of Environmental Management is the focal point for the chemical related conventions.

The Environmental Health Unit acts as an inspectorate for the Public Health with a sub-unit responsible for environmental engineering issues to include monitoring and assessment.
The Plant Protection Unit has two officers designated as Pesticide Inspectors with the responsibility of inspecting storage areas and visiting farmers.The Ministry of Agriculture has Agricultural Extension Officers with the responsibility of visiting farmers to give information on best practices, farm management and safety in the use of pesticides.
There is also various government agencies Labour Inspectorate with the authority to audit processes and services involving aspects of chemical management (investigate problems associated with human (public and occupational) exposure and chemical accidents; carry out inspections of plants, materials and equipment, seeking compliance form industry).

Table 9-1 provides a summary of the resources available within the government Ministries and Institutions for chemical management.
114 Table 9-1: Resources Available in Government Ministries/Institutions Ministry/Agency concerned Customs and Excise Division Ministry of Health, Wellness and Environment Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Statistical Department Pesticides Control Board Pharmaceuticals Services National Insurance Scheme Labour and Ecclesiastical Affairs (Labour Department) Ministry of Transport Ministry of Trade Government Printing/Publications offices Ministry responsible for Planning Ministry of Foreign Affairs Type of Expertise Available Imports and Exports of Chemicals (e.g.
agrochemicals) Chemical Management Chemical Management Statistical Data on quantities of various chemicals Registers pesticides and collects information about each one Registers pharmaceuticals entering the country and collects information about them Data on the number and type of accidents Occupational Health and Safety Issues on human health and the environment Safe transportation and storage of chemicals Issuing of Trade permits Publication and distribution of laws, regulations and other government documents Donation or receipt of development assistance, which could include e.g., chemicals for agricultural use, technical or financial assistance for the development of chemical industries, or technical assistance for the management of chemicals Coordinate all international aspects of chemicals management, such as the participation in relevant international agreements and conventions 9.2 Resources needed by Government Institutions to fulfil responsibilities related to Chemicals Management St. Vincent and the Grenadines requires trained professional staff to ensure the sound management of chemicals.
The Ministries are understaffed leaving the majority of the workload on a few individuals.

Experts are needed in the field of environmental management, environmental policy and compliance, field technicians, IT personnel, chemistry, biology, toxicology and health and safety.

However, the availability of finance for wages remains an issue when hiring professionals.
9.3 Resources available in Nongovernment Institutions for Chemicals Management The resources available from nongovernmental institutions for chemicals management in SVG include the following: The Trade Unions in SVG are generally responsible for defending, advancing and protecting the interests of the working class at the workplace and in the community, which includes the health and safety of workers.
The St. Vincent Employers’ Federation (SVEF) is concerned with occupational health and safety issues, as well as those related to human resources 115 management and industrial relations.

The organization acts as a watchdog for legislation that affects employers and sits on the Tripartite Committee on the economy (Kairi Consultants Ltd., 2008).
St Vincent Electricity Services Limited, the island’s power generating company has a very structured health, safety and environmental program, with trained professionals and equipment for testing and monitoring potential environmental hazards.

The Company has set out in its manual of operations “SAFETY RULES”- policy statements with defined procedures and responsibility.

Resources available from VINLEC can be used to enhance or bridge the gaps on chemicals management in SVG.
The Sol Group is a leading petroleum company, supplying fuels, lubricants, bitumen and LPG through an extensive service station network in SVG.

Sol also has primary interests in marine, aviation and commercial operations across the Caribbean.
The Sol Group is committed to health and safety within the workplace as well as environmental protection by: establishing a safe workplace in pursuing the goal of no harm to people; integrating health and safety in workplace activities;    protecting the environment and its biodiversity;  using material and energy efficiently to provide our products and services;  managing security risk;  promoting a culture in which all Sol employees and contractors share this commitment; and  playing a leading role in promoting best practice in our industry.
The achievement of these goals are guided by specific policies and procedures which assess the diverse environment in which the company operates and the emphasis on safety training sets the guidelines for specific behaviours and procedures to be followed by our workforce.

The St. Vincent Brewery also has an effective environmental, health and safety programme in place, with emphasis being placed on chemical management.

The Brewery practices voluntary compliance.


9.4 Resources from Development Assistance Activities Many developing countries and those in economic transition benefit from multilateral and bilateral assistance activities related to the management of chemicals.

These include development assistance and technical cooperation with the UN agencies such as FAO, ILO, UNEP, UNIDO, UNITAR, WHO, and UNDP, as well as capacity building projects with GEF and bilateral donors.
In many cases more than one funding agency may be involved.

Table 9-2 gives a summary of funding institutions and support given to SVG to better manage chemicals.
116 Table 9-2: Resources Available through Development Assistance and Technical Cooperation Activities Title of Project and duration dates Type of Expertise provided Funding Institution and International Supporting Institutions Caribbean Environmental Health Institute (CEHI ) funded by Natural Resources Systems Programme (NRSP) FAO funded through Regional European Union Commission Impacts and Amelioration of agrochemical pollution in Caribbean Waters (2000 – 2003) Food and Agriculture (FAO’s) Technical Cooperation Programmes (TCP) (2012) CARDI (Continuous) IICA The Taiwanese Technical Mission (TTM) funded by MOFA Developing small- holder enterprises and producer organizations.
(2010 – 2014) Agriculture and Horticulture Development Project (2011 – 2013) Technical expertise based on project Capacity building, assistance in policy formulation, agriculture planning and agriculture legislation development Conducts agricultural research for and on behalf of the government Provides technical support in the areas of capacity building, training and technical assistance Agricultural and Rural Development in St. Vincent and the Grenadines 9.5 Assessment A comprehensive management of chemicals requires necessary resources.
The private sector has some expertise as well as capacities in terms of financing, hence it is important to enhance collaboration and coordination between the Government agencies and the private sector.

There are other supportive agencies which can further strengthen the human resource base in the management of chemicals in SVG.

The Customs Department can provide technical support in the storage of dangerous goods.
The Bureau of Standards and the Central Water and Sewerage Authority with their laboratory personnel can assist in carrying out exposure assessment and monitoring.

The support of the Fire Department can be sought, as one of their roles is that of a first responder.

The sound management of chemicals also requires the right professional disciplines such as chemistry, toxicology, environmental sciences, environmental engineering, occupational hygiene, and chemical engineering.
Training and skill development is 117 essential, both technically and scientifically.

Exchanges can be negotiated with other countries of the regions to assist in such development.

The different government ministries and agencies have environmental professionals with varied backgrounds working with chemicals management.
However, in order to strengthen the development of capacities and the formation of human resources the following specific areas of chemical management need to be staffed:  Regulation and policy development  Coordination/project management  Management of information on chemicals and chemical waste  Designing and implementing procedures and tools for managing chemicals  Chemical waste, in particular, storage, transportation and disposal of hazardous chemicals Initiatives deriving from the recognition by the Government of the importance of an effective chemical management system and the country’s membership in a number of related international conventions and organisations contribute to the improvement of deficiencies present in the system.
118 Chapter 10: Conclusions and Recommendations This chapter concludes the National Chemical Profile for SVG which discusses the current situation of chemicals management within the country.

Its intent is to summarize the properties and propose recommendations for the actions considered most important.
10.1 Chemicals Management situations in St. Vincent and the Grenadines St. Vincent and the Grenadines is not an industrialized country and depends on the importation of a variety of chemicals for use in the country.

Owing to this and its small size, the country suffers from a limited capacity to manage potential risks, and ensure the sound management of chemicals and waste.
The Government of SVG has responded with initiatives such as laws, policies and practices, ranging from national to regional and international efforts.

However, the focus of these initiatives has been geared towardsagrochemicals.

This has its genesis in the Pesticides Control Act (1975) which focused on pesticide use (related to the thriving agricultural industry of that era in particular the bananas industry).
The development of measures to control other chemicals is at an infancy stage and the situation is compounded by the inadequate administrative arrangements for the management of chemicals as stipulated by the Draft Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control Act.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines has a fragmented approach to chemicals management as there are many institutions and agencies involved in some aspects of chemical management, each with their own policy, legislation and mandate.
None of the management aspects of chemicals however, are broad and deep enough in scope to address chemical management as a whole.

The main legal body for the administration of the measures required for the management of chemicals at the national level is the PCB.

The PCB however, is faced with financial problems.

There are no resources available to increase the level of efficiency at which the Board functions (includes level of staffing, record keeping, monitoring and research).
The execution of the functions of the Board is on a voluntary basis and the dedication of time to address the responsibilities of this body is less than desirable, resulting in unfinished business.
Effective integration and coordination are hampered by some basic constraints such as the absence of a sound and comprehensive national policy on chemical management, inadequate legal and regulatory frameworks for managing chemicals (multiplicity of laws dealing with separate aspects of chemical management encourages compartmentalization) and lack of awareness of the principles of sustainable development, and an appreciation of the inseparable linkages between environmental, social and economic issues.
119 St. Vincent and the Grenadines also faces additional issues with regards to chemical management, inclusive of but not limited to the following:      Lack of protocol for the control of chemicals: The protocol for the control of chemicals at the Port Authority is limited and although the permitting system by the PCB and verification by the Customs is in place, there are areas that need improvement.
There are also existing gaps with respect to the need to eliminate risks associated with handling of chemicals on clearing of containers and storage in designated areas.

Improper and inadequate disposal of chemicals and containers: Disposal arrangements for hazardous wastes, spent chemicals and containers are inadequate and limited to deep burial and containment.

Containers may also be disposed in an indiscriminate manner.
Inappropriate use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): The entire management regime for toxic chemicals requires that handling and storage utilize protective devices that will preclude harm to personnel.

This area is lacking in St Vincent due to limited education, resources and self-preservation awareness.

There is not a culture of safety or commitment to follow safety procedures.
Limited protocol for transportation and use of chemicals: The absence of a management plan for chemicals at the national level has transcended to other sectors and sub- sectors.

This is typified by the agricultural use and application of chemicals in an ad hoc manner and by the proliferation of ad hoc mixing of chemicals.
Insufficient data for chemical management: A thorough inventory of chemicals is not available for St Vincent (an inventory of spent pesticides has been undertaken- through an FAO funded project).

A database of imported chemicals is non-existent and information on imported chemicals is classified under broad headings.

This makes it difficult to access information on specific chemicals and determine potential risks.
 Monitoring: There is a need for effective monitoring programmes in the environment and biological systems.

Where monitoring does take place, it is done on an ad hoc and specific research oriented basis.

Very often the results of such monitoring are not utilized for decision making related to chemicals management.
 Research and development: There is limited country specific information on the chemicals imported and no program is in place to monitor the exposure to chemicals to assess the actual threat to humans and the environment.

Analytical capabilities are limited to basic testing and analysis for chemicals, with only one recognized laboratory (SVG Bureau of Standards) in the country.

All laboratory based work carried out for managing chemicals are outsourced to other Caribbean countries.
The other laboratories in SVG are geared to medical related analyses.

Information management: There is limited capacity and capability to collect, collate and disseminate information dealing with health and environmental issues associated with inappropriate management of chemicals.

 10.2 Recommendations 120 The NCP (2015) for SVG functions as a working document to evaluate the management of chemicals at a national level.
The management of chemicals and associated wastes involves the process of directing, coordinating and controlling the life cycle of chemicals in order to promote an integrated approach to the sustainable production and consumption whilst minimizing the negative effects at a local, national and regional level.
The effective management of chemicals therefore requires better information gathering and integrated approaches to chemicals, and waste management, supported where appropriate by improved environmental governance.

The management approach should focus on sustainable development, with emphasis placed on preventative rather than curative actions.

The complete life cycle of chemicals must be assessed with the ultimate result conforming to a ‘cradle to cradle’ approach to chemical management.
This will encourage the recovery and recycling of chemicals to reduce the quantity of chemical waste generated.

Appropriate information systems, human and financial resources are required.
Five key issues are of primary importance to achieve the sound management of chemicals in the country:      Legislative reform; Set up a National Committee for chemicals management; Information transfer and data accessibility; Increased infrastructural and technical capacity; and Public awareness, training, and education.

Legislative reform A coherent and comprehensive legal framework needs to be established for the management of chemicals in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The draft Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Act should be implemented and this Act should make provisions for implementing the Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions.Comprehensive regulations should also be prepared under this Act.

The draft Occupational Health and Safety Act as well as the draft Environmental Management Act under which the draft Hazardous Waste Regulations should be prepared need to be enacted.
These Acts need to be coordinated so that these three pieces of legislation are harmonized to remove possible contradictions and conflict.

It is essential that a holistic and comprehensive national policy for chemicals management be developed in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

A legislative review would include the draft Pesticides and Toxic Chemical Control Act, the Public Health Act and other legislation regarding workers’ protection, and environmental preservation.
Any policy developed must also take into consideration the country’s international and regional obligations and must also seek to address the issue of participation by both the private sector and the population at large in chemicals management.

Set up a National Committee for Chemicals Management In an effort to maximize the use of human resources from various agencies with some capacity to manage chemicals, the establishment of a National Committee for Chemicals Management can be beneficial.
The Committee will be responsible for improving the efficiency of institutional and organizational structures to improve the overall effectiveness of the coordinated management of chemicals as well as lead in the decision making process for chemical imports to SVG as required under the obligations of the Rotterdam Convention.
This Committee can be chaired by the Pesticide Control Board, with stakeholders from EMD, FPU, 121 EEU, VCU, CSDU, Ministry of Finance and Trade, Port Authority, Customs and Excise, the Solid Waste Authority, NGOs such as All Island Recycling and the private sector such as Input Warehouse and VINLEC.

Information Transfer and Data Accessibility There is need for a comprehensive chemical characterization inclusive of hazard characterization of chemicals in SVG.
The existing database needs to be improved and maintained such that it is capable of providing support information that can enhance the management of chemicals.

This information system must be flexible enough to receive information from various sectors, perform inter and intra sectoral collation and analysis and be relatively accessible.

This will allow information on chemicals at the national level to transcend sectoral and institutional boundaries and support interagency access.
This database can be developed, managed and maintained by the Chemicals Management Authority in collaboration with the Ministry responsible for health and other key agencies.

The Environmental Department should implement a chemical tracking mechanism that can be shared with the Customs Department, the Port Authority, the Ministry of Trade, the Statistical Department and the Solid Waste Management Unit.
This mechanism would require importers to declare the proposed storage facility to allow for annual inspections.

Increased Infrastructural and Technical Capacity A centralized facility for the storage of expired and unused chemicals should be established with standard operating procedures.

A disposal facility for chemicals and chemical waste is also recommended to ensure the safe disposal/destruction of industrial chemicals in an environmentally sound manner.
As a priority SVG requires the establishment of a functional, fully equipped scientific laboratory.

This should be one centralized laboratory with the capacity to carry out all essential chemical, biochemical and microbial testing, monitoring and analysis in different environmental media.

This initiative can be in collaboration with the SVG Bureau of Standard since they already have the basic infrastructure in place.
There is also the need to strengthen the institutional capacity of the Environmental Management Division to execute functions related to chemicals management as the organization, management and operation of the recently established Environmental Management Division remain a work in progress.

Administrative procedures, division of labour, human resources management and the health information system are still needs to be refined.
Further, the synergy to be derived from the engagement of other sectors such as the Ministry of Agriculture is still under construction.

Public Awareness, Training, and Education Emphasis must be placed on raising public awareness on environmental issues to enhance sound use and management of chemicals and create an understanding of the contribution that improved chemical management can make to social and economic development of the country.
Participation, public awareness and education will be achieved through the following:  Develop communication channels among the institutions at both the national and local level for the exchange of programmes related to participation, public awareness and education.

Include issues of chemical management in school curricula.

  Create reference centers and agencies (these need not be new physical entities) with specific mandates to develop public information strategies, programmes and materials.
122  Develop mechanisms to secure the participation of all stakeholders, including the local community and the private sector in chemical management and sustainable development.

The mechanisms must ensure the breadth and depth of participation.

 Develop and implement public awareness and education for targeted publics (including politicians, policy and decision-makers, NGOs, schools and communities) in the areas of sustainable development in general and chemical management in particular.
Most of the chemicals used in SVG are imported, making the Customs and Excise the first control point where management measures should be implemented effectively.

The Customs Department is therefore a key player in any programme for the management and control of toxic chemicals.

The Customs Officers and other related personnel need to be trained in the inspection and identification of toxic chemicals as well as the efficiency with which they can deliver toxic chemicals control measures.
By extension the training across sectors in the management of chemicals also needs to be addressed together with the practices employed for the handling, storage, distribution and use of toxic chemicals.

Training on the use of materials safety data sheets should be encouraged among stakeholders to ensure rapid responses in the event of an emergency.

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Available Annex I Data required to update the National Chemical Profile for St. Vincent and the Grenadines 125 Introduction The NCP for St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) will be updated in a collaborative and comprehensive manner ensuring data accuracy, where data are readily available, and transparency.
The existing National Chemical Management Profile was reviewed and the document will be updated based on the guidance document entitled “Preparing a National Profile to Assess Infrastructure and Capacity Needs for Chemical Management” (UNITAR, 2012).

It is suggested that the National Profile contains, in addition to an introductory section and an executive summary, 10 distinct chapters and a series of annexes, as appropriate.

Table 1 outlines the recommended structure of the National Chemical Profile.
Table 1: Outline of National Chemical Profile document Executive Summary Introduction to the National Profile Chapter 1: National Information Overview Chapter 2: Legal and Institutional Capacity for Chemicals Management Chapter 3: Chemical Production, Import, Export, Storage, Transport, Use and Disposal Chapter 4: Data Viability for Chemicals Management Chapter 5: Infrastructural Capability for Managing Chemicals Chapter 6: Chemical Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Follow-up Chapter 7: Chemical Awareness and Understanding Chapter 8: International Linkages Chapter 9: Availability of Resources for Chemicals Management Chapter 10: Conclusions and Recommendations References Annex I: Data required to update the National Chemical Profile for St. Vincent and the Grenadines Annex II: Participation of Ministries, Organisations and other Stakeholders Annex III: Overview of Legislation governing Chemicals Management in St. Vincent and the Grenadines Annex IV: St. Vincent and the Grenadine’s Import and Export for 2012 The rest of this document gives a detail account of all the information required to update the NCP on a chapter basis.
Chapter 1: National Background Information Table 1-1: Overview of National Economic Sectors National Economic Economi c sub- Major products Number of Number of Contributio n to GDP Output Value Growth Rate 126 Sectors sectors Facilities (%) 2014 (US$ millions) (%) 2014 Employee s (‘00) 2014 Agriculture and Forestry Fishing Mining and quarrying Manufacturi ng Electricity and water Construction Secondary Industries Tertiary Industries Table 1-2: Structure of the Major Economic Sectors by size (according to number of employees) Economic Sectors Micro farms/ Facilities1 Small farms/ Facilities2 Medium farms/ Facilities3 Large farms/ Facilities4 No informatio n provided on farm/facilit y size (%) Petroleum Industries Agriculture and Fisheries Food processors and Drink Textiles, Garment and Footwear Printing, publishing and paper Wood and related products Chemicals and non- metallic minerals Assembly type and related industry 127 Miscellaneous Manufacturing Construction Distribution Transport, Storage and Communication 1 – 1-9 employees; 2- 10-99 employees; 3- 100-249 employees; 4- >249 employees.
Chapter 2: Chemical Production, Import, Export, Storage, Transport, Use, and Disposal Table 2-1: Chemical Production, Import and Export Chemical Type Imports (tons/yr & US$) Formulation/ Packaging (tons/yr & US$) Exports (tons/yr & US$) Production/ Manufacturi ng (tons/yr & US$) Pesticides Fertilizers Petroleum Products Industrial (used in manufacturing processing facilities) Consumer chemicals Other chemicals (unknown/mixed use) Table 2-2: Raw Materials for Chemicals and Related Industries Raw Material Imports (tons/yr) Extracted locally (tons/yr) Exports (tons/yr) 128 Usage (tons/yr) Table 2-3: Chemical Use in Belize Chemical Type Pesticides- Agricultural Pesticides- Public health Pesticides- Consumer use Fertilizers Petroleum Products Industrial (used in manufacturing /processing facilities) Consumer chemicals Other chemicals (unknown/mixed use) Table 2-4: Bulk Chemical Storage and Warehousing Facilities Chemical Type Type of Facility Location (port, Size/Capacity (m3/tons) industrial complex, urban, rural) Labelling, Health & Environment Protection Measures 129 Table 2-5: Bulk Chemical Distribution and Transportation Type of Chemical Type Transportation facility(maritime, inland waterway, rail, road, air) Appropriate Capacity transported (m3 or tons/yr) Labelling, Health & Environment Protection Measures Table 2-6: Chemical Waste Generation Type of waste chemical Generation (tons/yr) Export (tons/yr) Import (tons/yr) Table 2-7: Obsolete Chemicals Stockpiles, Chemical Waste Sites and Contaminated Sites Geographical Location (GPS coordinates) Main content by chemical or groups of chemicals/waste Magnitude of the site or stock (small, medium, large) Obsolete Chemicals Stockpile Chemical Waste Sites Contaminated Sites Table 2-8: Technical Facilities for Recovery and Recycling of Chemicals Location of Facility/Operati on or Process Description of Facility/Operati on or Process Capacity of the Facility (m3) Recovery Operation Does the facility treat wastes imported?
(yes/no) 130 Table 2-9: Capacity for Disposal of Chemicals Location Description of Facility, operation or process Disposal Operation Capacity of the Facility Does the Facility treat wastes imported?

(yes/no) Chapter 9: Chemical Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Follow-up Chemical Emergency Planning Describe briefly the existing emergency arrangements in the event of a chemical incident:  Does the country have a chemicals emergency plan and is it part of an overall national disaster management plan?
 Which authorities have various responsibilities and how does the plan operate at regional and local levels?

 Which stakeholders are involved in the development of the plan and its implementation?

For example, besides the emergency services themselves, are the following stakeholders involved: health, environment, and local authorities; industry and the transport sector; and meteorological services?
Responsibilities may vary depending on whether the chemical incident is in the industrial, transport, domestic, or public health fields.

 Does the plan include regular testing under simulated conditions and are there provisions for modification of the plan based on experience of specific emergencies?

 How are the media involved and what mechanisms exist to inform the public in an emergency?

Are inventories made of installations and transport routes at risk of chemical incidents?
Do the fire, police, and other emergency services have specific equipment, including protective clothing, to deal with chemical incidents and are staff specifically trained for such incidents?

Is the GHS being applied in the country?

What are the chemical hazard identification systems already in place and enforced in the country, both in the transport and industrial/ commercial sectors?

Do they apply to small and medium size enterprises (SMEs)?
Is there a poisons information or other chemicals information service which is available around the clock to provide advice in a chemical emergency and are there dedicated emergency communication systems?

Do local hospitals have patient decontamination facilities and stocks of antidotes, medicines, and appropriate equipment for chemical emergencies?

Are the health or emergency services equipped for transportation of chemically exposed persons?
131 What facilities are available for incident clean-up and for long term follow-up of exposed persons?

What training is available to prepare the emergency services (e.g.

fire, police, civil defence) personnel in dealing with a chemical incident, as well as medical and paramedical staff in handling and treating chemically exposed persons?

Is there any training for veterinarians concerning treatment of exposed animals to toxic substances?
Chemical Incident Response Describe some of the more significant chemical incidents that have occurred recently in the country: Table 9-1: Significant Chemical Incidents which occurred recently Date of Incident Chemical (s) involved3 Type of Incident2 Location1 No.

of deaths/injure d /evacuated Environment al Contaminatio n or Damage4 1 ―Location, give the name of the place, e.g.

town and the region/province.


2 ―Type of Incident‖ could be: industrial accident/fire; transport (road, rail, waterways, air) accident, fire, spill; warehouse/storage site fire; contamination of drinking water, food, medicines, or other consumer goods; chemical misuse; natural disaster involving chemicals; terrorist attack; etc.

3 Chemicals involved could be one individual chemical (e.g.

chlorine) or a group of chemicals (e.g.

pesticides, PCBs); a natural occurring chemical or toxin (e.g.
arsenic in drinking water, aflatoxins, toxic algae in red tide incidents), or a large mixture (e.g.

in a fire, when material being burned should be given).

4 Environmental contamination or damage should be described briefly, e.g.

air pollution; drinking/ground water, river, lake, sea pollution; soil contamination; destruction of plants, woodlands, commercial crops; loss of wildlife or commercial animals (cattle, sheep, goats, horses, camels, etc.).
Chemical Incident Follow up and Evaluation Is there a formal or informal mechanism in place to investigate a chemical incident and its outcome?

Is there a standardised format for collecting the information about the incident?

Give a brief description.

Can the investigation lead to a formal enquiry about the causes and responsibilities of various parties involved?

Can the investigation lead to a follow-up activity, e.g.

an epidemiological study, a study of improved fire prevention in warehouses?
Give a brief description where this has been done in the past.

Is there a register of chemical (and other) incidents?

Who has the responsibility for it?

Is it kept systematically?

How is an incident defined to be entered in the registry?

Is there a follow-up surveillance and rehabilitation mechanism in the health service for exposed persons who may suffer long-term disabilities and sequelae?

How is this achieved?


Do the environmental and local authorities (or others) have the responsibility for clean-up after an incident?

Is there a follow-up of any damage to the natural or physical environment?

Give a brief description.
132 133 ANNEX II Participation of Ministries, Organisations and other Stakeholders for the National Chemical Profile Update 134 Participation of Ministries, Organisations and Stakeholders for National Chemical Profile update Organisation Position Name Contribution BCRC- Caribbean Dr. Ahmad Khan Director BCRC- Caribbean Dr.DanelleDha niram Research Analyst BCRC- Caribbean Ms. Afiya Edwards Research Assistant BCRC- Caribbean Ms. Camille Roopnarine BCRC- Caribbean Consultant Mr. Luis de Shong Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment Contact Information #8 Alexandra Street, St. Clair, Port-of- Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
Tel: 868 628- 8369 #8 Alexandra Street, St, Clair, Port-of- Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

Tel: 868 628- 8369 #8 Alexandra Street, St. Clair, Port-of- Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

Tel: 868 628- 8369 #8 Alexandra Street, St. Clair, Port-of- Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
Tel: 628-8369 1st floor, Ministerial Building, St. Vincent & The Grenadines Tel: 784 456- 1111 Review of National Chemical Profile update Preparation, compiling and review of the NCP Preparation and compiling of NCP Review of National Chemical Profile update Overview of department and chemical use in SVG.
Press conference Ministry of Mr. Carlos Senior Environmental Contact person 135 Organisation Name Position Wilson Health, Wellness and the Environment Environme ntal Health Officer Agricultural Input Warehouse Ltd Mr. Lennox Francis General Manager SVG Bureau of Standards Mr. Ezra Ledger Executive Director Mr. Michael Delpeche Agricultur al Officer Ministry of Agriculture (Plant Protection and Quarantine) Customs and Excise Department Ms. Andra Layne Customers Officer 136 Contact Information Health Complex, Tyrell Street, Kingstown, St. Vincent & The Grenadines Tel: 784 456- 1991 Lower Bay St, Kingstown, St. Vincent & The Grenadines Tel: 784 456- 2117 Campden Park, Industrial Estate, P.O.
Box 1506, St. Vincent & The Grenadines Tel: 784 457- 8092 Richmond Hill, Kingstown, St. Vincent & The Grenadines Tel: 784 457- 2452 or 784 456-1111 Custom House, Upper Bay Street, St. Vincent and the Grenadines Tel: 784-456- 1083 Contribution in SVG.
Organised meetings with stakeholders in SVG Data on import and use of fertilizers Discussion on technical infrastructure for chemicals in SVG Commitment to provide data on fertilizers Commitment to provide data on import and export of chemicals using HS codes Organisation Name Position Contact Information Contribution Statistical Office Mr. Jamal Byron Statisticia n Port Authority Mr. Harvey G.W.
Caine Health and Safety Officer Mr. Jameel Miller-Findlay Environme ntal Officer Ministry of Health Wellness and the Environment (Environmental Management Department) Pharmaceutical Services Mr. Levi Walker Director Solid Waste Management Unit Mr. Winsbart Quow Manager 137 State of Environment Report 2012 Commitment to provide data on chemicals imports via Port Authority Data on CFCs and other ozone related chemicals provided Discussion on chemicals used in pharmaceutical sector Data on solid waste P.O.Box 608, Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines Tel: 784 457- 2921 Upper Bay St Box, 1237 Kingstown, St. Vincent & The Grenadines Tel: 784 456- 1830 Environmental Health Complex, Tyrell Street, Kingstown, St. Vincent & The Grenadines Tel: 784 457- 2586 Environmental Health Complex, Tyrell Street, Kingstown, St. Vincent & The Grenadines Tel: 784 457- 2586 Central Water & Sewerage Authority P.O Box 363 New Montrose Organisation Name Position VINLEC Mr. Anthony Patterson Environme ntal Health and Safety Officer All Island Recycling Ms. Mary V. Jocelyn General manager Contact Information Kingstown, St. Vincent & The Grenadines Tel: 784- 456- 2946 Paul’s Avenue, St. Vincent & The Grenadines Tel: 784 456- 1701 Campden Park, St. Vincent & The Grenadines Tel: 784 453- 4150 Contribution Commitment to provide data on chemicals (waste oils) Overview of recycling process in SVG and tour of facility 138 ANNEX III Overview of Legislation governing Chemicals Management in St. Vincent and the Grenadines 139 (Draft) Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control Act The (Draft) Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control will repeal the Pesticides Control Act (1975) which focused mainly on pesticides.
The objects of this ACT are: (i) (ii) to provide a more comprehensive framework for regulation of not only pesticides but all pesticides and toxic chemicals in general for the purpose of more adequately protecting human and animal health and safety, plant health and the environment; and to implement the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction (the Convention).
The legislation thus embodies an integrated approach to the regulation of pesticides and toxic chemicals in general, including chemical weapons.

This approach, integrating domestic pesticides and toxic chemical control and implementation of international obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention, is intended to reduce the administrative burden.

Although administered through an integrated mechanism, the control regimes for both areas remain essentially separate.
This gives effect to the differing regulation that is demanded in these two areas.

Plant Protection Act (2005) An ACT to prevent the introduction and to control the spread of plant pests, to protect plant resources; to facilitate trade in plants and plant products and to regulate matters related thereto.

The primary responsibility for the administration of this Act lies with the Minister.

This Act repeals and replaces the Pesticides Control Act.

It also repeals and amends other related Acts.


The objects are: (iii) (iv) to provide a more comprehensive framework for regulation of not only pesticides but all pesticides and toxic chemicals in general for the purpose of more adequately protecting human and animal health and safety, plant health and the environment; and to implement the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction (the Convention).
The legislation thus embodies an integrated approach to the regulation of pesticides and toxic chemicals in general, including chemical weapons.

This approach, integrating domestic pesticides and toxic chemical control and implementation of international obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention, is intended to reduce the administrative burden.

Although administered through an integrated mechanism, the control regimes for both areas remain essentially separate.
This gives effect to the differing regulation that is demanded in these two areas.

The major elements of this Act are as follows: Administration 140 1.

A Chemicals Management Authority is established to replace the existing Pesticides Control Board.

Its mandate differs from its predecessor in the first place, because it is now responsible for pesticides and toxic chemicals generally, and secondly, it will serve as the National Authority under the Chemical Weapons Convention.

2.
2.

This Authority is established as an inter-ministerial Board with a minority of representatives from certain private sector interests.

This approach to the regulation of pesticides and toxic chemicals is in recognition of the following: (a) the policy that there be Government regulation (instead of industry regulation) of pesticides and toxic chemicals is pursued - hence the predominance of Government representatives.
However, the importance of private sector input dictates that it have representatives; and (b) the reality is that the regulation of pesticides and toxic chemicals concerns several disciplines which fall under the portfolio of different ministries, e.g.

health, international trade, foreign affairs, agriculture, industry and commerce.
However, as pesticides and toxic chemicals are used principally in the field of agriculture, the Board operates under the supervision and direction of the Minister of Agriculture.

Regulation 3.

All pesticides and toxic chemicals manufactured or imported will be registered.

4.

All permitted activities in pesticides and toxic chemicals will be under licence or permit: Pest Control Operators are regulated by a licensing scheme (Pest Control Operator Licence).
1 2 3 4 The sale, including storage and distribution for purposes of sale, of pesticides and toxic chemicals are also regulated by a licensing scheme (Dealer’s Licence).

The storage and distribution for use of pesticides and toxic chemicals in activities other than sale, such as research, education, and agriculture are regulated by a licensing scheme (General Licence).

Licences are used to control the import and export of pesticides and toxic chemicals (Import and Export Licences).
Licences are also used to impose standards in premises in which pesticides and toxic chemicals are manufactured (Premises Licences).

The Convention requires that certain premises be subject to the verification measures in the Convention.

Those premises are called “facilities” to distinguish them from the other premises.

The special requirements of the Convention are imposed on such premises by using a different regulatory scheme (Facilities Permits).
Environmental Health Services Act (1991) 141 This is An ACT to make provision for the conservation and maintenance of the environment in the interest of health generally and in particular in relation to places frequented by the public.

The Minister of Health is charged with the responsibility of protecting and promoting public health by providing for ensuring conservation and maintenance of the environment (sect.

3).

The Minister may delegate functions pursuant to section 4.
An Environmental Health Board is established under section 5.

The Board shall advise the Minister on matters relating to environmental health.

An Environmental Health Division is established in the Public Health Department and a Chief Environmental Officer shall be appointed (sects.

6 and 8).

The functions of the Division are set out in section 7.

Sections 10 to 13 prescribe certain requirements regarding observation of environmental norms by the public.
Powers of the Chief Environmental Officer and other public officers are defined in section 13 to 16.

Appeal against decisions or notices made under section 6 may be had in accordance with sections 17 to 20.

Sections 21 to 30 prescribe offences.

Regulation making powers of the Minister are set out in section 31.

A Local Authority may issue By-laws under section 32.

(35 sections completed by 1 Schedule) Central Water and Sewerage Authority Act No.
6 of 1978 The Central Water & Sewerage Act provides a basis for water abstraction and distribution and for water quality management in SVG.

The Act makes provision for the designation of protected areas for the protection of water resources.

However, national standards for the discharge of treated effluents into surface water are not in place but the CWSA applies relevant WHO or EU standards.
Oil in Navigable Waters Act Cap 366 Under the provisions of this Act where oil is discharged, or allowed to escape into waters to which this Act applies, from any vessel, or from any place on land, or from any apparatus used for the purpose of transferring from or to any vessel or to or from any place, the owner of the vessel, the occupier of land or the person having charged of the apparatus, as the case may be, commits an offence and on conviction is liable to a fine of five thousand dollars.
It is also any offence to transfer any oil during the hours between sunset and sunrise, to or from any vessel lying in any harbor unless, notice of intention to do so has been given in accordance with the provisions of the Act.
Oil Pollution (Liability and Compensation) Act 1977 This Act makes provision with respect to civil liability for Oil pollution damage by Merchant ships and provides for the payment of contributions by importers of oil to the International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund for the Liability of the Fund to compensate persons who suffer pollution damage.
This Act provides that where as a result of any occurrence taking place while 142 a ship is carrying cargo of persistent oil bulk, any persistent oil carried by the ship is discharged or escapes from the ship, the owner of the ship is liable in the following manner: for any contamination resulting from the discharge or escape, for the cost of any measures reasonably taken after the discharge of the escape for the preventing or reducing any such damage or for any damage done to the State by any measures so taken.
By virtue of this Act, SVGcontributes to an International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund regarding pollution damage.

The Fisheries Act No.

8 of (1996) The Fisheries Act (1986) and Regulation (1987), which form part of the OECS harmonized legislation, covers: fisheries access agreements, local and foreign fishing licensing, fish processing establishments, fisheries research, fisheries enforcement and the registration of fishing vessels.
The legislation also make provision for conservation measures such as prohibiting the use of any explosive, poison or other noxious substance for the purpose of killing, stunning, disabling, or catching fish; closed seasons, gear restrictions, creation of marine reserves.

Pharmacy Act N. 54 of 2002 The SVGPharmacy ACT # 54 0f 2002 Sec:3.(5).
(c) gives the Pharmacy Council the mandate to decide on matters relating to the registration of drugs and 28 (1) (b) the council has the authority to publish a list which can only be imported into the Country under a license issued by the Council.

According to the Pharmacy Act, only Pharmacists can sell prescription medicines.
Section 27: “registration of drug ought to be a requirement for import”, and Section 28: “the Council has the authority to publish a list which can only be imported in to the country under a license issued by the Council” However, the proposed regulations of the Pharmacy Act are yet to be made law by the Government due to administrative constraints.
Waste Management Act (2000) This Act contains rules for the public management and disposal of solid waste as defined in section 2 and including hazardous waste as defined in Schedule 1 to this Act, and provides for appointment, functions, etc.

of the Authority.

National The Act consists of 49 sections divided into 7 Parts: Management Waste Solid 1.

Preliminary (I); 2.

The National Solid Waste Management Authority (II); 3.

Waste management planning (III); 4.

Environmental impact assessment (IV); 5.


Waste management licences and permits (V); 6.

Waste management operations, Financing and cost recovery (VI); 7.

Miscellaneous(VII).

143 The Central Water and Sewerage Authority is appointed as National Solid Waste Management Authority under section 3.

Functions of this Authority are set out in Schedule 3.
All solid waste management facilities including land on which they are situated shall be vested in the Authority.An environmental impact assessment shall be carried out in accordance with sections 13 to 18 before establishment of a solid waste management facility.

Section 19 of Part V prohibits the deposit of solid waste on indicated lands and waters and requires a licence to be obtained for the construction and operation of any waste management facility.
A licence shall also be required for existing facilities pursuant to section 20.

Section 31 defines the liability of holders of licences in case of accidents causing damage to health or the environment due to failure of the licence holder.

Provisions of part VI regulate the importation, processing and other handling of waste.
144 ANNEX IV St. Vincent and the Grenadines Import and Export 2012-2013 145 St. Vincent and the Grenadines Product: TOTAL All products Sources: ITC calculations based on UN COMTRADE statistics.
Data based on the partner reported data (Mirror data) Unit : US Dollar thousand Produ ct code Product label St. Vincent and the Grenadine's exports to world St. Vincent and the Grenadine's imports from world Value in 2012 Value in 2013 Value in 2012 Value in 2013 TOTAL All products 43042 57245 403242 459344 '01 Live animals '02 '03 '04 '05 '06 '07 '08 '09 Meat and edible meat offal Fish, crustaceans, molluscs, aquatic invertebrates nes Dairy products, eggs, honey, edible animal product nes Products of animal origin, nes Live trees, plants, bulbs, roots, cut flowers etc Edible vegetables and certain roots and tubers Edible fruit, nuts, peel of citrus fruit, melons Coffee, tea, mate and spices '10 Cereals 4383 401 21027 17180 146 Produ ct code Product label St. Vincent and the Grenadine's exports to world St. Vincent and the Grenadine's imports from world Value in 2012 Value in 2013 Value in 2012 Value in 2013 11675 7675 1331 772 Milling products, malt, starches, inulin, wheat gluten Oil seed, oleagic fruits, grain, seed, fruit, etc, nes Lac, gums, resins, vegetable saps and extracts nes Vegetable plaiting materials, vegetable products nes Animal,vegetable fats and oils, cleavage products, etc Meat, fish and seafood food preparations nes Sugars and sugar confectionery Cocoa and cocoa preparations Cereal, flour, starch, milk preparations and products 28 Vegetable, fruit, nut, etc food preparations Miscellaneous edible preparations Beverages, spirits and vinegar Residues, wastes of food industry, animal fodder 0 0 0 2 7 0 0 6 72 '11 '12 '13 '14 '15 '16 '17 '18 '19 '20 '21 '22 ' Produ ct code Product label '24 '25 Tobacco and manufactured tobacco substitutes Salt, sulphur, earth, stone, plaster, lime and cement '26 Ores, slag and ash St. Vincent
 and the Grenadine's exports to world St. Vincent and the Grenadine's imports from world Value in 2012 Value in 2013 Value in 2012 Value in 2013 4 18 3439 47 168 1665 8089 2856 0 480 0 0 1 9 114989 22387 Mineral fuels, oils, distillation products, etc Inorganic chemicals, precious metal compound, isotopes Organic chemicals Pharmaceutical products Fertilizers 0 0 4 2 Tanning, dyeing extracts, tannins, derivs,pigmentsetc 12 Essential oils, perfumes, cosmetics, toileteries Soaps, lubricants, waxes, candles, modelling pastes Albuminoids, modified starches, glues, enzymes Explosives, pyrotechnics, matches, pyrophorics, etc Photographic or cinematographic goods Miscellaneous chemical products 4 1 1 0 3 6 '27 '28 '29 '30 '31 '32 '33 '34 '35 '36 '37 ' Produ ct code Product label Plastics and articles thereof Rubber and articles thereof 101 Raw hides and skins (other than furskins) and leather Articles of leather, animal gut, harness, travel goods Furskins and artificial fur, manufactures thereof 0 7 0 '39 '40 '41 '42 '43 '44 St. Vincent and the Grenadine's exports to world St. Vincent and the Grenadine's imports from world Value in 2012 Value in 2013 Value in 2012 Value in 2013 664 296 9306 5604 1 0 1 0 4266 2274 7 9 695 198 0 34 Wood and articles of wood, wood charcoal 35 11 9258 7616 '45 Cork and articles of cork '46 '47 '48 '49 Manufactures of plaiting material, basketwork, etc.
Pulp of wood, fibrous cellulosic material, waste etc Paper and paperboard, articles of pulp, paper and board Printed books, newspapers, pictures etc '50 Silk Wool, animal hair, horsehair yarn and fabric thereof Cotton Vegetable textile fibres '51 '52 ' Produ ct code Product label St. Vincent and the Grenadine's exports to world St. Vincent and the Grenadine's imports from world Value in 2012 Value in 2013 Value in 2012 Value in 2013 nes, paper yarn, woven fabric Manmade filaments Manmade staple fibres Wadding, felt, nonwovens, yarns, twine, cordage, etc Carpets and other textile floor coverings Special woven or tufted fabric, lace, tapestry etc Impregnated, coated or laminated textile fabric Knitted or crocheted fabric Articles of apparel, accessories, knit or crochet Articles of apparel, accessories, not knit or crochet Other made textile articles, sets, worn clothing etc Footwear, gaiters and the like, parts thereof Headgear and parts thereof Umbrellas, walking-sticks, seat-sticks, whips, etc 1 1 0 33 1991 686 1 0 179 186 41 49 '54 '55 '56 '57 '58 '59 '60 '61 '62 '63 '64 '65 '66 150 Produ ct code Product label St. Vincent and the Grenadine's exports to world St. Vincent and the Grenadine's imports from world Value in 2012 Value in 2013 Value in 2012 Value in 2013 Bird skin, feathers, artificial flowers, human hair Stone, plaster, cement, asbestos, mica, etc articles Ceramic products Glass and glassware Pearls, precious stones, metals, coins, etc 0 6 7 72 0 0 8 3 1 1039 Iron and steel 2422 1357 Articles of iron or steel 748 Copper and articles thereof 0 '75 Nickel and articles thereof 0 Aluminium and articles thereof 683 Lead and articles thereof Zinc and articles thereof Tin and articles thereof Other base metals, cermets, articles thereof Tools, implements, cutlery, etc of base metal
 Miscellaneous articles of base metal 0 0 0 0 25 25 96 151 0 752 162 9 0 228 4 2 '67 '68 '69 '70 '71 '72 '73 '74 '76 '78 '79 '80 '81 '82 '83 ' Machinery, nuclear reactors, boilers, etc 897 270 25018 22098 St. Vincent and the Grenadine's exports to world St. Vincent and the Grenadine's imports from world Value in 2012 Value in 2013 Value in 2012 Value in 2013 1189 195 20024 13864 0 28 0 320 29 14300 7415 338 503 23761 1504 95231 Produ ct code Product label Electrical, electronic equipment Railway, tramway locomotives, rolling stock, equipment 0 Vehicles other than railway, tramway Aircraft, spacecraft, and parts thereof Ships, boats and other floating structures Optical, photo, technical, medical, etc apparatus 412 20 35 165 192 2302 5019 Clocks and watches and parts thereof 0 Musical instruments, parts and accessories 28 Arms and ammunition, parts and accessories thereof 0 0 0 0 147 372 110 52 5 83 Furniture, lighting, signs, prefabricated buildings Toys, games, sports requisites Miscellaneous manufactured articles Works of art, collectors pieces and antiques Commodities not elsewhere specified 522 300 9349 8437 77 2 0 0 4 2 1088 547 953 896 5402 78 1646 300 0 123762 '85 '86 '87 '88 '89 '90 '91 '92 '93 '94 '95 '96 '97 '99 152 The Basel Convention Regional Centre for Training and Technology Transfer for the Caribbean Region #8 Alexandra Street, St. Clair, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago Tel.
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