JPRS 72124

26 October 19 78

WORLD

TRANSLATIONS ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

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1. Report No.

JPRS 72124

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TRANSLATIONS ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, No. 183

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26 October 1978

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Environmental Control

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JPRS 72124

26 October 19 78

TRANSLATIONS ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

No. 183

CONTENTS PAGE

WORLDWIDE AFFAIRS

Briefs

USSR-U.S. Environmental Conference 1

Symposium on Environment Ends 1

USSR, Norway Environmental Talks \

Oil Polluters To Be Traced 2

ASIA

AUSTRALIA

Oil Slick Pollutes South Coast

(THE WEST AUSTRALIAN, 27 Sep 78) 3

Engineer Reports No Change in Emission Levels

(THE WEST AUSTRALIAN, 4 Oct 78) 4

Conservation Foundation Work Increasingly Constructive

(THE COURIER-MAIL, 23 Sep 78) 5

INDIA

Radiation Accidents Reported at BARC

(THE HINDU, 24 Sep 78) g

No Trace of Radioactivity at Pokharan

(THE HINDU, 24 Sep 78) mm 8

INDONESIA

Government Will Issue Regulation on Water Pollution

(KOMPAS, 8 Aug 78) 9

Pollutants From Chemical Factory Kill Crops, Fish

(KOMPAS, 3 Aug 78) 12

a - [III - INT - 139]
CONTENTS (Continued) Page

Prosecutor Charges Logging Operation Caused Flood

(SINAR HARAPAN, 10 Aug 78) 14

NEW ZEALAND

Government Will Be Tough Over Chemical Spills

(THE NEW ZEALAND HERALD, 20 Sep 78) 16

Toxic Discharge Kills Eels, May Destroy Waterfowl

(THE PRESS, 28 Sep 78) 17

NEAR EAST AND NORTH AFRICA

INTER-ARAB AFFAIRS

Majority of Middle East's Larger Animals 'Virtually Extinct»

(EVENTS, 6 Oct 78) 19

TUNISIA

Tunis, Sfax Pollution Problem Explored

(Anwar al-'Ayyadi, B. al-Murabiti; AL-RA'Y, 31 Aug 78) 22

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

SOUTH AFRICA

Cement Plant To Have Dust Emission Control

(FINANCIAL GAZETTE, 28 Sep 78) 30

USSR

Sewage Treatment Plants for 29 Cities

(K. Sharonov; EKONOMICHESKAYA GAZETA, Sep 78) 32

Laser Monitors the Atmosphere

(SOVETSKAYA LATVIYA, 3 Aug 78) 35

Science Center 'Integral' Studies Pollution

(V. Aleskovskiy, et al.; SOVETSKAYA ROSSIYA, 9 Jun 78) 36

All-Union Conference on Pesticides and Pollution

(0. Sobolev; KOMMUNIST TADZHIKISTANA, 9 Sep 78) 39

Krasnodarskiy Kray Earthquakes

(L. Kramarenko, G. Klyucherov; TRUD, 5 Sep 78) 41
CONTENTS (Continued) Page

Lake Issyk-Kul' Pollution Control

(K. Karakeyev, et al.; SOVETSKAYA KIRGIZIYA, 2 Jul 78) 43

Pollution Control Measures in Azerbaydzhan

(BAKINSKIY RABOCHIY, 1 Aug 78) 46

Pollution by Oil Products

(L. Klyava; VODNYY TRANSPORT, 13 Jul 78) .49

Sochi Back to Normal Following Floods

(L. Kramarenko; TRUD, 16 Sep 78) 50

Briefs

Earthquake in Kirgizia, Uzbekistan 51

Earthquake, Tremors Hit Kishinev 51

Antipollution Boom Barrier 51

WESTERN EUROPE

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Baltic, 'World's' Dirtiest Sea' Improving With Cleanup Drive

(Mikko Eronen; HELSINGIN SANOMAT, 17 Sep 78) 52

ICELAND

SPAIN

Land Reclamation Receiving Increased Interest

(Agust H. Bjarnason; MORGUNBLADID, 19 Sep 78) 58

Huelva's Petrochemical Industry Creates Health Problems

(David Fernandez Cabeza; OPINION, 28 Jul-3 Aug 78) ... 65

- c -
WORLDWIDE AFFAIRS

BRIEFS

USSR-U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL CONFERENCE—Tbilisi, 7 Sep TASS^--A Soviet-American

conference on plant protection ended in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia

(Caucasus). The conference was held in accordance with the inter-governmental

agreement between the USSR and the USA concluded in 1972. The plans and

programme of cooperation for 1979-1980 were determined at the conference.

The next meeting of Soviet and American scientists is planned to be held next

year in Washington. The head of the U.S. delegation, Dr Tweedy, told a TASS

correspondent that environmental protection is a problem for entire mankind.

Cooperation of the USSR and the USA in this sphere proceeds successfully.

[Text] [Moscow TASS in English 0927 GMT 7 Sep 78 LD]

SYMPOSIUM ON ENVIRONMENT ENDS—TASS—Legal questions of environmental protection were discussed at a Soviet-American symposium which ended yesterday in

Moscow. This was the fourth meeting between the USSR and U.S. jurists, who

are studying this problem within the framework of the Soviet-American

agreement concluded in 1972. The agreement envisages cooperation on 11 major

problems. These include the prevention of pollution of the atmosphere and

reservoirs, the improvement of the urban environment, the forecasting of

earthquakes, nature protection and the organization of reservations and the

study of the biological and genetic consequences of environmental pollution.

[Text] [Moscow PRAVDA in Russian 20 Sep 78 p 4 LD]

USSR, NORWAY ENVIRONMENTAL TALKS—Moscow, 27 Sep TASS—A meeting between

Leonid Yefremov, first deputy chairman of the USSR State Committee for Science

and Technology, and the Norwegian Minister for Environmental Protection

Gro Harlem Brundtland was held at the committee today. They discussed questions of scientific-technical cooperation between the USSR and Norway in the

field of environmental protection. The Norwegian Ambassador in the USSR

Petter Graver took part in the conversation. [Text] [Moscow TASS in

English 1851 GMT 27 Sep 78 LD]
OIL POLLUTERS TO BE TRACED--The Baltic states, that is to say, Sweden,

Denmark, West Germany, the German Democratic Republic, Poland, the Soviet

Union and Finland have signed an agreement in regard to an effort in the

field to mark oil residues. Bo Turesson, Sweden's Minister of Communications, made this known on Tuesday in Stockholm. The method of marking,

which is Swedish, involves metal particles being put into the ship's tanks

after unloading. Different combinations for each vessel makes it possible

to identify a ship which has discharged oil. Experiments will begin in

the spring of 1979 and will continue for a year at the most. The method

was tried out in Sweden in 1975. Sweden will contribute to the experiment

the help of experts, secretarial functions and a central register at no

cost to the other Baltic states. Minister Turesson said on Tuesday that

it is very gratifying that a common experiment has materialized. He hopes

that the other Baltic states will be convinced about the possibilities of

controlling oil discharges in the Baltic Sea by this method. [Text]

[Helsinki HUFVUDSTADSBLADET in Swedish 13 Sep 78 p 7]

CSO: 5000
OIL SLICK POLLUTES SOUTH COAST

Perth THE WEST AUSTRALIAN in English 27 Sep 78 p 1

[Text]

AUSTRALIA

A big oil stick has been

washed- on to this south

coast between .Point

D'Entrecasteaüx- and the

moutft of Jhe' Gairdner

River.

The oil has! polluted

beaches and rocks along

a 13km section, including

the Windy Harbour holiday resort

Thick globules have

been deposited in a continuous strip about a

metre wide.

-However; people at

Windy Harbour have not

noticed any effects on

seabirds or marine life.

The slick was blown

ashore by strong winds

on Saturday night,

Mrs Ann Moore, the

wife of the caretaker at

Windy Harbour, said yesterday that the slick had

ruined the beach.' It

would be difficult to

clean before holidaymakers arrived next weekend. -•

Samples

ThetMordinAtoT of. the

State committee for combating oil pollution, Capt.

W. P. Spencer, saidI yesterday,that he was waiting to receive samples of

the: oil* and further reports on the extent of

the slick. s

if lt., was left long

enough'the öÜ wöuW be

cleaned, up; by the weather. But other ; action

might be necessary tf it

was affecting normal activitiesfcnthe area.

The oil could have been

discharged by ; a tanked

or any ship travelling

round thecoast, he said.

It was possible for samples to be analysed and

traced back to "the. one

responsible ff ' lie ^ship

loaded or discharged at

any Australian port.

People responsible for

oil discharges, off WA

are liable to fines to

$ 50,000.'

CSO: 5000
AUSTRALIA

ENGINEER REPORTS NO CHANGE IN EMISSION LEVELS

Perth THE WEST AUSTRALIAN in English 4 Oct 78 p 10

[Text] Authorities had found

no improvement in the

air in cities in other

States that introduced

stricter vehicle emission

controls two years ago, a

chief engineer with the

Royal Automobile Club

of WA claimed yesterday.

Mr D. Pitcher told the

conference that the capital and expertise currently being invested in emission control might be

better spent in updating

the power plants of motor vehicles.

Though two years

might sound a short period,- it should be realised

that 60 per cent of the

distance covered in Australia was done by vehicles less than two

years old.

Emission control would

become largely self-regulatory in time by virtue

of the law of supply and

demand.

He said that lead emission, which was not subject to legislation in WA,

was one of the easier

pollutants to control by

use of catalytic converters or lead traps rather

like mufflers.

There was no need to

use lead as an octane improver, but the resultant

costs in dispensing with

it would be passed on to

the end user.

CSO: 5000
AUSTRALIA

CONSERVATION FOUNDATION WORK INCREASINGLY CONSTRUCTIVE

Brisbane THE COURIER-MAIL in English 23 Sep 78 p 15

[Text]

CONSERVATIONISTS did not deserve a reputation of being negative minded and standing in the way of what others wanted to do, according to the

Australian Conservation Foundation president (Dr. H. C. Coombs).

Mr. Coombs made the claim in the foundation's annual report.

"I do not think

this was ever true of

conservationist s

generally, but is

even less true today." he said.

"The work of the found a t i o n is increasingly

constructive — to help

develop positive plans to

ensure the wide use of

our resources, and to

widen the opportunities

for the healthy enjoyment of the world we live

in," he said.

Mr. Coombs said he believed the positive emphasis would continue to

grow.

The tasks for which the

foundation was formed

were becoming more urgent, he said.

"The mounting pressure of population on the

CSO: 5000

limited resources of our

world is reflected in the

rising costs of materials

essential to man's future.

"The damage done to

the physical context in

which we live, and to the

other living species with

which we share it is evidenced by the steady reduction in their population, and the increasing numbers of endangered species," he said.

Charges

Mr. Coombs said there

had recently been

changes in the emphasis

of the foundation's work.

Originally the "concern

Was for the preservation

of the natural environment and the wildlife

which inhabited it.

"However it has become apparent, that the

threats to man's habitat

are not confined to his

encroachment on the remaining natural areas."

Conflict

Mr. Coombs said air

and water pollution, the.

intensifying energy crisis,

anxiety about nuclear

fuels, famines, .poverty

the spread of deserts arj{|

the disappearance of life'

styles and cultures of

primitive peoples were

evidence of the conflict

between the demands of

industrial civilization

and the preservation of

man's habitat. , The resolution of the

conflict would require

fundamental changes in

the values of industrialised society/he said.
INDIA

RADIATION ACCIDENTS REPORTED AT BARC

Madras THE HINDU in English 24 Sep 78 p 12

[Text] New Delhi, Sep 23--Highly placed sources in the Department of Atomic

Energy (DAE) have revealed details of a few accidents involving radiation

at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) at Trombay.

In one accident, radioactive aluminum pipes "escaped" from the BARC and

ended up in the Bombay scrap market.

In another case, a worker got heavily dosed with radiation after he stole

highly contaminated gold and hid it in his clothes.

In a third incident, radioactive liquids spilled from a broken pipe contaminating a huge area of land that later had to be cleared in a big earthmoving operation.

The sources, who did not want their names to be revealed, said these incidents occurred three-to-four years ago. The public did not know of these

earlier because of the thick veil of secrecy around the BARC.

The first incident was caused by vandals who had their eyes on the several

tonnes of aluminium pipes and rods buried in the "Gamma garden" behind the

plutonium plant.

They were not ordinary aluminium pipes. They had been used as "claddings,"

or sheaths for the fuel rods of the Canadian-built CIRUS reactor also in

the Trombay complex.

According to the sources, the "spent" fuel assemblies from CIRUS are normally

brought to the plutonium plant where the burnt-out fuel rods are removed for

reprocessing to recover plutonium. The aluminium claddings which are not

reprocessed but are highly radioactive are left buried underground at the

Gamma garden which is Trombay's nuclear graveyard.
Armed with radiation detecting Geiger counters, the BARC scientists tracked

some of the radioactive aluminium in the Bombay market.

The sources said to this day no one knows how much of the contaminated

material was in circulation or about the extent of hazard it caused to those

who handled it.

After the incident, a fence was put round the Gamma garden and guards were

posted.

The second incident involved a semi-skilled worker in the plutonium plant,

which is now shut down for decontamination to facilitate what the DAE officials call "expansion."

The worker stole gold foils from one of the rooms without knowing that they

were heavily contaminated with radioactivity.

He first put the gold in his locker and later hid it in his clothes while

going home. By the time the crime was tracked down by the Geiger counters,

the worker was heavily contaminated--body, clothings and all.

In the third incident, the BARC health physicists noticed high radioactivity

in the compound of the plutonium plant "some three-to-four years back." It

was found that the radioactive solutions which were going to the sea in a

plastic pipe were leaking.

The leaking solutions contaminated the ground around the plutonium plant.

The whole area of about three acres was dug up to four feet depth and the

earth was dumped into the sea, the sources said.

Meanwhile, Mr B. S. Sharma, a representative of the BARC scientific community, has sent a letter to the Prime Minister, Mr Morarji Desai, urging "a

high level and impartial enquiry into the affairs of the DAE."

The letter said the BARC scientific community was "very much concerned over

the grave problems like radiation pollution and hazards to staff and environment at Tarapur and the BARC, and the widespread frustration among staff

due to negligence, mismanagement and nepotism."

CSO: 4220
INDIA

NO TRACE OF RADIOACTIVITY AT POKHARAN

Madras THE HINDU in English 24 Sep 78 p 12

[Text] New Delhi, Sep 23--Regular environmental monitoring studies conducted by the Atomic Energy Department so far have not revealed any radioactivity in the samples of soil, water and vegetation around Pokharan where

India exploded an underground atomic device in May 1974.

According to information available from the department, the studies also

did not indicate any movements of radio-nuclides from the site at a depth

of over 100 metres.

Several scientists had voiced fears on radioactive contamination around

Pokharan and its effect on the neighbouring population after the Prime Minister, Mr Morarji Desai, had stated in the Lok Sabha that the environmental

hazard of plutonium residues left behind by the atomic device in the 100-

metre-deep hole drilled for explosion was yet to be assessed.

These fears have now been set at rest by the facts revealed by the department.

According to the department, in the experiment conducted at Pokharan, adequate precautions were taken to see that no radioactivity was released.

In such experiments, the residual plutonium gets mixed with the large quantity of molten rock produced because of the high temperatures at the time of

the experiment.

On cooling, this mixture becomes a hard glassy material distributed around

the explosion point at a depth of over 100 metres.

Since the total rainfall in the desert area at Pokharan is very small, even

if this glassy material is accessible to rain water, the radioactivity that

may be leached by this water will remain localised underground, it is explained.

CSO: 4220
INDONESIA

GOVERNMENT WILL ISSUE REGULATION ON WATER POLLUTION

Jakarta KOMPAS in Indonesian 8 Aug 78 pp 1, 12

[Article:"Regulation Controlling Water Pollution Being Drafted"]

[Text] The government is drafting a regulation on controlling

water pollution. The drafting team, already formed, is comprised

of officials from the departments of public works, health, industry, internal affairs and agriculture.

This information was given on 7 August by State Minister for

Supervision of Development and Environment Professor Dr Emil

Salim. He had just finished chairing a meeting on the environment at the department of industry. The meeting was attended

by Minister of Industry Ir [engineer] A.R. Suhud, the deputy

chairman of BKPM, several directors general and others.

According to Emil Salim, in the regulation, a water standard

will be established for the full range of national usage.

This is needed because the same water can be used for drinking

water, for fishponds, for bathing, washing and toilets, for

disposal of industrial waste and for irrigation. In addition,

it will also be decided which agency will supervise implementation of the regulation and what sanctions apply.

Still No Water Standards

There still aren't any national water standards covering the

full range of usage. For large cities, only Jakarta has a

governor's decree on water quality standards for water bodies

based on how the water is used. The governor's decree, No 484

dated 30 June 1977, established water quality criteria, based

on how the water is used, for the metropolitan Jakarta region.

This water quality criteria also regulated waste discharged

into the rivers.

Emil Salim said thatwater quality regulations are still being

drafted for the cities of Semarang and Curabaya like those in
effect for Jakarta. Thus in reality waste water disposal

standards for large cities have only received attention since

1977 and only on an individual basis.

In addition he said that in 1977 the minister of health also

issued a decree on control of water pollution for bodies of

water which are multi-purpose in use and are related to health.

The minister of health's decree, No 173 of 1977, establishes

waste quality regulations, liquid waste storage and leakage

supervision methods and sanctions.

The department of industry through minister of industry decree No 12 of 1978 has also regulated preventive and protective

activities against environmental pollution caused by industry.

The regulation is in effect immediately for industries built

after the regulation was issued. However, a period of 3 years

has been given to industries built before the minister's decree

was issued to adapt to it.

It is necessary for large cities to determine their own waste

water quality criteria, he said, because conditions from place

to place will differ. For example, the acid content level or

the level of organic pollution (B.O.D. = Biochemical Oxygen

Demand, is the amount of oxygen needed for the biochemical

destruction of organic materials in the waste) will differ

from river to river in the same region. It will also differ

between regions. "Therefore, without lessening the impact of

the minister of health's regulation, it is still necessary for

each regional government to establish waste water standards,"

he said.

The S.D.C. Case

Minister Emil Salim added that the Semarang Diamond Chemicals

(S.D.C.) Ltd factory which produces calcium citrate began

production in 1977 at the same time the regulation was issued

by the minister of health on water waste pollution control

The case of pollution by the S.D.C. factory, however, is basically a local problem and one which only took place at certain

times.

Therefore the pollution could be corrected locally by the

regional government. The decision made by the local government

is said to be a result of investigations carried out by various

agencies such as those concerned with chemical industries,

Health, irrigation and the regional government. The solution

10
will probably be to increase the treatment of the waste and in

addition to require payment to be made to those who have incurred

losses," he added.

According to the minister, the chemical industry team which

carried out the investigation on the S.D.C. pollution case has

completed its w-rk and is not compiling its complete report.

However, the main point is that pollution took place because

of the overflow of industrial waste which had previously been

in storage. The overflow of the waste was due to the heavy

rains in July.When rainfall is normal, or during the dry season, the industry's waste can be channeled off with a waste

concentration that isn't.too high. This doesn't pollute the

environment. Pollution only takes place during the periods of

heavy rains, so that it can be said that the pollution took

place only at specific times, according to the minister. "However, the S.D.C. case can be a lesson to us all," he added.

Concerning improvement in or increase of the waste water

treatme-t, Emil Salim aaid that included in the improvements

which must be made is the deepening of the waste storage

areas. This will remove the possibility of there being any

waste water overflow. Or if there is an overflow, the concentration level of the waste won't pollute the environment.

7785

CSO: 5000

11
INDONESIA

POLLUTANTS FROM CHEMICAL FACTORY KILL CROPS, FISH

Jakarta KOMPAS in Indonesian 3 Aug 78 pp 1, 16

[Article: "Pollution By SDC Factory Has Continued For a Long

Period"]

[Text] The S.D.C.Ltd factory producing calcium citrate which

is located in the city of Semarang was still in operation on

2 August. Meanwhile farmers in the village of Tapak, Tugu

subdistrict, through whose land the factory waste flows, continue to complain. They point to the small river with its dark

greyish water. It is this polluted water which has caused

the fishponds and sawahs to be unable to produce anything.

KOMPAS sources at the Semarang Health Laboratory say that the

pollution which is a result of the waste from the S.D.C. factory has in fact continued for a long period. Investigations

by the laboratory which were conducted the middle of last year

concluded that the pollution is dangerous to the area around

the factory. The report signed by Dr Hertanto says the waste

water from the S.D.C. factory contains ammonium and H2S. These

two chemicals have poisoned the surrounding environment of the

factory. This includes the surrounding waters and its main

result has been to disorient the fish.

Based on these investigations, the S.D.C. factory has been

ordered to equip itself with waste filtering equipment. This

equipment is expected to neutralize the waste released into

river which directly irrigates the area where the people live.

Inconsistent

However, by the middle of July of this year, the fish in the

ponds and the rice in the sawahs were still both dying. A

deputy chief of Tapak village,Amat Suaeb, told KOMPAS that the

factory was often inconsistent in using its [new] filtering

equipment. If the rains came, they would open the valves wide

12
open. Perhaps they hoped that the waste would be dissolved

away with the rain water. But then again, the valves were

were often opened when it wasn't raining heavily. Suaeb said

that when it was only sprinkling, the river would be overflowing with the waste. That was proof that the water filter

valves were open.

The pollution caused by the S.D.C. factory isn't only limited

to the waste. Those living within a radius of 1 km of the

factory complain about the rancid smell which constantly per

meates the air. The smell is very strong, especially if the

wind is strong.

The people say that if it doesn't rain, the result would be

an even stronger smell. The environmental pollution was

strongly felt last year. During the dry season all water

sources for the Tapak village became smelly and couldn't be

used. The people were forced to get drinking water from other

villages. To describe how complete the pollution is, the

people say that even the well at the mosque couldn't be used

for ritual ablution. The smell of the water is also very

irritating to the nose and it has a cloudy, dark, greyish

color.

An official of the S.D.C. factory told KOMPAS that on 30 June

1978 the plant doctor warned his patients about an eye infection which was spreading. He took several safety measures

to stop the disease spreading. It still isn't clear if the

eye infection is caused by the factory's pollution.

The people who live there have asked the government to quickly

intervene and investigate the case. Simply giving money to

make up for losses isn't considered to be a full solution to

the problem. In the first place, the amount of money is always

small compared to the loss of fish and rice by the people.

And then the people are always haunted by the possibility that

there will be a reoccurance of the situation later.

In all 53 fishpond owners and 37 farmers have had losses.

Their daily means of livelihood are gone. Several fishponds,

grown up with underbrush through neglect, were shown to KOMPAS

This happened because there were no longer any fish alive in

them. There were also sawahs which had gotten so much waste

water from the factory that the topsoil was almost gone and

the rice unable to grow, dried up. According to records, the

S.D.C. factory hires some 200 workers. Most of them are in

lower possitions with wages of only 300 rupiahs a day plus one

meal.

7785 13

CSO: 5000
INDONESIA

PROSECUTOR CHARGES LOGGING OPERATION CAUSED FLOOD

Jakarta SINAR HARAPAN in Indonesian 10 Aug 78 pp 1, 12

[Article: "Brought To Court Because of Timber Cutting And

Deliberately Causing Flood"]

[Excerpt] On 9 August the court of first instance at Tulungagung, East Java began hearing the case of S.S. alias T.H.T.

(46 years old) and L.D.L. charged with deliberately causing

a flood in the region by cutting timber from a 56.2 hectare

stand in November 1976. This resulted in 16 people being killed

and 507 being injured. Damage caused is estimated at almost

500 million rupiahs.

According to information gathered by SINAR HARAPAN, this

session is the first of its kind in Indonesian court history

in which an accusation was made against people for causing

a flood.

General prosecutor Zainal Sungkono charged the two with deliberately causing a flood by cutting timber from stand 197

of the Besowo block, located in the village of Gondanggunung,

Pagerwojo subdistrict on the slopes of Wilis Mountain in the

Tulungagung district.

The timber cutting was initiated by S.S. as director of M. Co

Ltd within the framework of planting menthol-producing plants

in cooperation with N.K. Co Ltd, concession holder for the

enterprise.

For 21 days beginning on 24 August 1976 they succeeded in cutting 56.2 hectares of forest using 58 workers, under the supervision of L.D.L. They were then stopped by State Timber Co

officials from Pagerwojo who felt they had no official permits

from the State Timber Co.

Tie general prosecutor said that the timber cut was on a steep

14
of the mountain which had an incline of between 30 and 40 degrees. It was a thickly wooded area so that when the rains

came, it caused a flood. On 13 November 1976 a landslide

took place and the flood waters carried the cut timber through

the region where the Song river flows. The result was that

10 villages in the Kauman subdistrict of Kalangbreh, Tulungagung were inundated by the flood with the casualties mentioned

above.

7785

CSO: 5000

15
NEW ZEALAND

GOVERNMENT WILL BE TOUGH OVER CHEMICAL SPILLS

Auckland THE NEW ZEALAND HERALD in English 20 Sep 78 p 3

[Text] The Government seems ready to take a tougher

line on chemical spillages.

There have been at leasti

nine chemical spillages and!

! leaks in Auckland this year.!

: And more than 30 school

[Children, seamen, truck drivers and waterside workers

have gone to hospital in the

last seven months after

chemical incidents.

The latest bad accident, at

Freyberg Wharf on Monday,

sent n men to hospital.

Not Met

The Minister of Internal

Affairs, Mr Highet, suggested last night that prosecutions could follow Monday's

incident.

It appeared from reports

of the spillage that require-:

ments of the legislation had i

not been met, the minister ]

said. There could be a case'

for bringing prosecutions.

Other government moves

under consideration are a:

revised list of dangerous!

goods and more standardised!

labelling. •

If the Government doesi

tighten chemical handling

regulations, it will endear

itself to the Auckland City

Council.

The deputy mayor, Mr J. i

R. Firth, yesterday called fori

the Government to allow:

tougher bylaws on chemicals.

"The legislation isn't

strong enough," he claimed.

Mr Firth accused the

Government of treating the

problem casually.

, The city council was looking for the opportunity to

| create stiffer bylaws. |

Take Courses I

, The .Auckland Fire Service1

j technical liaison officer, Mr

M. A. H. Perkins, would like

to^see men working on the

wharves, truck drivers and

warehouse workers taking

courses on chemical handling.

Mr Perkins also sees the

need for clearer labelling of

chemicals. There was a lack

of understanding everywhere

of exactly what labelling was

required.

Fine Print

He said there was possibly

a need for a completely

different type of label for

bulk chemical tanks.

"If someone drops a big

tank, you can't get up close

to see the fine print."

Mr Perkins said the

volume of chemicals coming

into Auckland had dropped

off, perhaps because of the

economic downturn.

Because of this, the number of chemical spillages was

now less than in the city 18

months ago.

Relief for city residents

worried about chemical spillapes and leaks could come

with a report from a committee set up by the Government to examine handling

controls.

Mr Highet said he expected

the committee to report

shortly. While he had been

assured that present regulations were adequate, the

committee was looking at

ways of tightening them

up.

Footnote: Another leak

sent firemen into action in

Auckland yesterday. Two

leaking drums of weedkiller

chemical caused the incident,

the second in two days at

Freyberg wharf. The drums

were from the freighter

Hupeh.

CSO: 5000

16
NEW ZEALAND

TOXIC DISCHARGE KILLS EELS, MAY DESTROY WATERFOWL

Christchurch THE PRESS in English 28 Sep 78 p 1

[Text] It may be another five days before the full effects are known of

the pollution of the Heathcote River yesterday by toxic chemicals.

The oily material escaped from the Christchurch Gas Company's Moorhouse

Avenue works into stormwater drains, Bells Creek, and from there into the

Heathcote River, the Christchurch Drainage Board reported.

It is only six weeks since 12,000 litres of light oil escaped from the Gas

Company's works the same way, also affecting wildfowl.

The Drainage Board has referred both incidents to its solicitors.

Large numbers of eels were seen writhing and swimming upside down yesterday, and some people had reported finding dead eels. A few affected ducks

had been reported to the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society, said

the chief executive officer (Mr B. Webb).

The river was too muddy, however, after recent rain to see whether any fish

had been harmed, he said. The eels* behaviour would result from damage to

their gills and brains, said Mr Webb.

Mr Webb said the pollutant was apparently a phenol-type solution. He

described it as a "pretty dangerous chemical. Even the fumes in sufficient

concentration can cause severe sickness in humans. It can kill very quickly

if taken in solution," he said.

The effects on ducks were not likely to be seen for another five days, as

the chemical would have to seep through the feathers and skin into the

blood-stream.

Once this happened, the ducks would "doze off" and die, he said. A workman, who went out on the river yesterday morning to look at the pollution,

was forced to leave the river because the fumes had given him a headache.

17
The acclimatisation society was working with the Christchurch Drainage

Board, which he hoped would "take legal action," said Mr Webb.

"It is one of these things that is becoming all too common. It is all

very well taking protest action and going to court once it has happened,

but if no one takes any action it's all a waste of time," said Mr Webb.

A discharge of petroleum products was first noticed yesterday morning

flowing from Bells Creek. Inspectors of the Drainage Board were on the

scene about 7:30 a.m. and traced the discharge through the stormwater

drain to the Gas Company's outlet.

A straw barrier was put up at the mouth of Bells Creek and a suction tanker

was used to draw out as much of the pollutant as possible. By late afternoon most of the pollutant had been removed, according to a Drainage Board

employee.

The board's chief engineer (Mr P.J. McWilliam) said the matter would be

referred to the board's solicitors.

The general manager of the Gas Company (Mr C.W. Kennedy), said the company

was deeply concerned that there had been an accident apparently during the

night at the Moorhouse Avenue works.

"The accident is being investigated and the company has invited a major

engineering consultancy firm to assist in tracing the cause of the accident, said Mr Kennedy. He said that once the cause had been established

it would be remedied as soon as possible.

CSO: 5000

18
INTER-ARAB AFFAIRS

MAJORITY OF MIDDLE EAST'S LARGER ANIMALS 'VIRTUALLY EXTINCT'

Beirut EVENTS in English 6 Oct 78 pp 46-47

[Part III of article: "Environment Under Siege"]

[Text]

"From Turkey in the north to Yemen in

the south, the majority of the Middle

East's larger wild animal species are

now virtually extinct," says Feisal Abu

Izzedine, regional adviser on wildlife

conservation to the United Nations

Environment Project.

This sad result stems partly from the

steady environmental erosion which

the region has experienced in recent

centuries - a deterioration which has

accelerated greatly over the past few

decades, through what one eminent

writer described as "misdirected efforts

to exploit nature in ways which nature

cannot tolerate." The massive destruction of rangelands and forests

meant the onset of desert conditions in

vast tracts of land, robbing many

species of their natural habitat.

As though this man-inflicted calamity were not enough, those species

which might otherwise have survived

found themselves the target of an

unremitting assault by hunters using

methods which turned the traditional

skilled sport into coarse butchery.

Within the space of a few short decades,

species which had roamed the area in

their thousands were brought to the

verge of extinction.

Hunting had, ofcourse, always been a

feature of Middle East life, as elsewhere. Murals in eighth century

Omayyad hunting lodges in Jordan

depict hunting scenes in an area which

was clearly then teeming with wildlife,

though itis now a near-lifeless desert. It

is, however, doubtful whether hunting

by traditional methods had much

impact on the status of the hunted

species. On the contrary, like the activity of other predators, it may have

served to improve stock by weeding out

the weak and infirm.

Nevertheless, the Asiatic lion died

out in the Middle East between the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries. But the

real spate of casualties came later,

beginning towards the end of the

nineteenth century. By 1900, the roe

deer, addax antelope, crocodile and

Syrian bear had become extinct in most

ofthe Arab world although a few bears

are still thoughtto survive in the remoter Turkish mountain ranges.

The Syrian onager (wild ass) and the

fallow deer disappeared by the early

1920s, to be followed by the Arabian

ostrich in the 1930s. Surprisingly,

perhaps, the cheetah and leopard seem

to have held out until the early 1960s,

when the last recorded specimens were

shot. The Arabian oryx was exterminated in most Arab countries, and is

now probably extinct in the wild. A

19
number of other species found themselves pushed ever closer to the wall:

the ibex (a mountain goat) and the wolf

died out, in many areas, and the onceplentiful gazelles and houbara bustards

suddenly becamea rarity.

The introduction of modern firearms

and the widespread destruction of forests (particularly by the Turks to provide wood for the Hijaz rai lway i n World

War I) undoubtedly playeda major part

in this process. But the use of fast vehicles and even aircraft to run down prey

was probably the major factor in wiping

out the hunter's traditional quarry, the

gazelle, the houbara bustard and the

oryx.

Describing the motorised persecution

of the houbara, Guy Mountfort- who

led scientific expeditions to Jordan in

1963 and 1965- wrote: "Like the

gazelles, it is paying the price for providing a big enough target for triggerhappy men who roam the desert in fast

cars looking for something- anything-

to kill for the fun of killing."

Mountfort's 1963 expedition spent

many weeks roaming the country but

saw nota single houbara, and spotted

only eight distant gazelles. Around the

same time, some of the last oryx

recorded in the wild were slaughtered

in south Arabia bya motorised hunting

party which had driven hundreds of

miles across the desert for the purpose.

Despite the enormity of the damage

already done, the persecution ofdwindling species continues: old habits die

hard. Even in Jordan, where social discipline and respect for the law are greater than in some other Arab countries,

gazelles are still shot despite the yearround official hunting ban. Some of the

gazelles stray unsuspectingly across

the Jordan from Israeli-held territory,

where they are protected. "People here

are trigger-happy, they like to shoot,"

said one Jordanian conservation official.

People are trigger-happy in Lebanon

too, and it is here that an appalling

twice-yearly slaughter takes place at

the time of the spectacular migration of

birds of prey, whose longjourney to and

from their breeding grounds to the

north unfortunately takes them along

the Levant coast. Anything from shotguns to machine guns is used to bring

down as many as possible ofthese birds,

whose bodies are then proudly displayed at the roadside for sale to passing motorists. The migration, which

includes dozens of different species of

eagles, buzzards, vultures, falcons and

hawks, is one of the most striking

events in the ornithologist's world. The

Lebanese have also succeeded in wiping

out orseverely restricting many oftheir

resident breeding species through

indiscriminate year-round hunting

despite prohibitive legislation.

Given the prevailing attitudes and

the difficulty of protecting threatened

species in the wild, it is not surprising

that the efforts of conservationists have

been centred on simply trying to keep

species alive in captivity, with the ultimate aim of releasing them (or their

issue) into the great outdoors ifit should

ever be safe to do so.

These conservation efforts are currently in their infancy. "There is no

functional nature reserve or national

park in the Middle East today," says

Feisal Abu Izzedine, who hasjust given

up his job as regional adviser on

wildlife conservation to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) to help

set upa wildlife sanctuary. "If anything

is to be done, it's in the field. How can

the UN plan or coordinate something if

it doesn't exist?" he says.

Work is already well advanced on the

800 hectare al Areen sanctuary which

Izzedine is to manage in Bahrein, and

which he describes as "one of the first

comprehensive attempts at wildlife

conservation in the Middle East." It is

hoped that the sanctuary will be able to

establish itself as the World Captive

Breeding Centre for the houbara bustard, as well as breeding oryx, gazelles

and other native species. It is also to

incorporate the existing Salman Falcon

Centre.

As in the case of the al Areen project,

which has the enthusiastic backing of

Crown Prince Hamad Bin al Khalifa,

many of the conservation efforts now

beginning in the Arab world have been

made possible by enlightened rulers in

the conservative states.

One of the first captive herds of Arabian oryx was in fact set up by the late

Sheikh Hassem al Thani in Qatar.

Saudi Arabia is now establishing the

Asir Kingdom park near Abha, to preserve an outstanding mountain area

20
with unique vegetation. In Oman, there

is a full time adviser on the environment to the Ministry of Diwan

Affairs, and efforts are being made to

preserve the Arabian taher (a species of

wild goat). One of the Arab world's very

few zoos, boasting some 280 species, has

recently been established at Al Ain in

the United Arab Emirates. In Jordan,

Dibbin Forest has been made into a

delightful national park, and moves are

underway to expand greatly the area of

the Shaumari Desert reserve.

The story of how the oryx survived

may well provide a model for efforts to

save other endangered species. Its

extinction was prevented largely by

outside efforts when it became apparent

in the early 1960s that the species was

otherwise doomed. An expedition was

mounted by the Fauna Preservation

Society (which has adopted the oryx as

its motif) and three wild oryx were captured. Together with six others donated

by Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and London

Zoo, these formed the nucleus of the

World Herd established at Phoenix,

Arizona. The herd has now grown to

number around 70 and has been split up

to different locations for safety's sake.

In February, a major step was taken

with the shipping to the Middle East of

four oryx from the World Herd.

Chosen to welcome the prodigals was

the Shaumari Wildlife Reserve, near

Azraq Oasis in Jordan, where facilities

had been set up for preserving and

breeding desert species prior to their

re-establishment in the wild. The project had the backing of the World

Wildlife Fund, which provided two

Landcruisers and the services of the

highly-qualified and experienced project leader, John Clarke, formerly director of parks in Zambia.

The four oryx which arrived in February were all males, and now that they

have adjusted well to their new surroundings moves are under way to secure mates for them. But the achievement of progress in conservation is

agonisingly slow: it took nearly four

years for arrangements to be made for

the delivery of the four males, and

delays are being encountered in finding

their mates. The Shaumari reserve has

also met disappointment in seeking

breeding stock ofgazellesfrom Iran and

elsewhere, and it is likely to be some

time before its ambitions to act as a

re-introducing station for other lost

species such as the ostrich, onager and

cheetah can be realised. In the meantime, John Clarke has been working on

draft conservation laws for Jordan

which may act as a model for the Arab

states.

The world total for Oryx now stands

at around 100-150, and species will not

be officially off the danger list until the

figure reaches 1,000. But it is clear that

baring unforseen calamity, the oryx has

been saved, thanks largely to outside

efforts. With the establishment of the

Shaumari and al Areen reserves and

other projects elsewhere, it should no

longer be necessary for Arabs to be

indebted to the Americans and others

for saving for Arabian wide life from

extinction. But a great deal of public

education and law inforcement will be

needed before the next vital step can be

risked: the release of these threatened

species back into their natural

habitat.

CSO: 5000

21
TUNISIA

TUNIS, SFAX POLLUTION PROBLEM EXPLORED

Tunis AL-RA'Y in Arabic 31 Aug 78 pp 6-7

[Article by Anwar al-'Ayyadi and B. al-Murabiti: "Pollution in Tunisia;

In the Capital: Pollution in Certain Areas Surpasses That of Paris and'

London in the Sixties; In Sfax Pollution Reaches Danger Level"]

[Text] The problem of pollution of the environment has emerged in recent

months as one of the main problems concerning a large portion of the population and prompting comments and denials. It is surprising that this

problem is so important, because pollution is usually a problem of main concern to industrial nations, not to developing countries with generally low

industrial development. However, warnings and cries of alarm soon alerted

citizens to the danger of the pollution of certain industrial areas in the

country. Recently one of the French experts called to study pollution in

Tunisia warned that certain areas were suffering from pollution greater than

that of Paris and London in the 1960's, before the fight against pollution

was organized in those cities. Meanwhile, the problem of pollution is

assuming great importance in Sfax where the population has become alarmed

because pollution has reached a dangerous level. The examples of Tunis and

Sfax are simply glaring manifestations of a phenomenon which is not limited

to them.

Some people, accustomed to defending the status quo, proceeded to claim

that pollution is the tax of industrialization, and they attempted to minimize the gravity of the problem. The government began planning certain purification projects and projects to combat pollution. However, citizens cannot accept the justification of dangers which could have been anticipated

and met. The projects which have begun to be implemented are minor and

limited in scope. There is no wide-scale activity, only operations having

to do with certain areas or specific sources of pollution. Therefore the

problem xs still present in its entirety, with all its significance, 'pollution is a problem awaiting a comprehensive, radical solution. The file

on pollution is open so citizens may have their say about it. The following is our publication of the first part of a report we have drafted on

pollution in Tunisia.

22
About Pollution

It is almost certain that the cities of Tunis and Sfax are suffering most

acutely from this condition. In Tunis there are several industrial areas

like Ben Arous, Megrine, Charguia and Manoubah with various industries and

factories which discard their wastes or sewage. Hundreds of thousands of

citizens live there, and they dispose of thousands of tons of waste daily.

There are thousands of places such as restaurants, shops and hotels which

also discard their waste. These wastes are disposed of in two ways: The

garbage is dumped in the salt marsh on the Zaghouan road where offensive

odors rise and insects gather. There is nothing to prevent their moving on

and descending on a person or his dishes, despite the fact that this garbage

is treated with DDT.

Liuqid wastes flow into the sewage system and collect at several plants. A

large portion of them appear at the al-Sharqiyah plant. However, the sewage

system in the capital, approximately 400 kilometers long, is insufficient,

and a large part of it is narrow. There is no provision for cutting off

parts of the system or for making it impermeable, and these are essential

standards for purification and safety. In addition to these pollution factors, there is factory and automobile exhaust and putrid odors coming from

lakes, salt marshes and ditches. All of this would not be very dangerous if

it were not for the fact that the waste, dust and brackish water contain and

carry deadly bacteria, small particles and toxic gasses which threaten living

things whether human, animal or plant.

In Sfax, although there are many sources of pollution, it seems that the

Siape phosphate plant and the NPK [fertilizer] plant are the main source of

the problems from which city residents suffer. The two plants emit phosphate and sulfur dust and fluoride which pollute the soil, the water and the

air and spoil the coastline and affect man, agriculture and stock farming.

Because of this, residents of the city are suffering from a greater incidence

of lung disease. Certain kinds of fish have suffocated in the sea such as

the well-known al-qishash. Wooded areas have become desolate. An international expert made an analysis of coastal waters and concluded that they

contained enormous quantities of flouride which could cause cancer. Fear

spread among the population, even though a Tunisian expert had reached conclusions to the contrary.

Whatever the case may be, pollution in the region has reached a dangerous

level which prompted the Sfax Municipality to issue one resolution last year

prohibiting swimming along the coast of the municipality and a second resolution this year prohibiting swimming along the entire coastline, with the exception of the al-Shifar beach which is far from the city. This situation

is what induced inhabitants of the municipality to demand that the NPK

factory be closed or moved from its present location, and it prompted the

municipal council to send a note to the prime minister concerning the problem of pollution which, because of its increasing gravity, is causing great

alarm and requires immediate intervention.

23
Besides the cities of Tunis and Sfax, there are others threatened to one

degree or another by the danger of pollution, such as Gabes, Sousse and

Bizerte.

Pollution: Its Factors and Dangers

Various kinds of wastes are the cause of pollution. They constitute industrial waste, garbage, the waste of service institutions and agricultural

wastes. These wastes lead to pollution, whether in dangerous organisms

such as bacteria, viruses and parasites; in toxic gasses emanating from

smokestacks or the burning of certain materials; in organic matter subject

to decomposition and fermentation which produce unpleasant odors and putrid

liquids attracting flies and large rats; or in chemicals, toxic mineral

salts and petroleum products.

Citizens exposed to some of these biological, chemical and physical agents

become seriously ill or get severe infections. There is no way to avoid this

except through precautions and halting the spread or flow of infectious

agents. The protection of living things—land animals, sea creatures and

plants—requires that the greatest efforts be made to combat pollution.

We can better understand the danger of pollution if we define the basic elements in the environment subject to and affected by pollution: the air, the

water and the soil.

Air pollution comes from the operation of cars and factories, because their

fuels emit dangerous gasses (sulphuric acid from factories and oxides of

carbon from cars). Air is also polluted by the factory emission of dust

bearing minute particles (like cement dust and fluoride material). These

air pollutants affect the respiratory system and cause illnesses with a deficiency of red corpuscles in the blood, lead to nausea and dizziness and

hurt the eyes. These pollutants also affect the respiratory systems of animals and plants. The systems are destroyed sooner than they would be under

normal circumstances.

Water pollution may result from hydrocarbons, with the transport, discharge

and use of petroleum and the mixture of petroleum particles with water.

This reduces the oxygen contained in water and may result in the presence

of warm particles in the water. This tends to be most harmful to fish and

shellfish, affects their flavor and renders them unsuitable for consumption.

Water used in industry, homes or places of service is an important factor in

the pollution of both sea water and irrigation water. Every use of this

water, if it is not treated, and no matter what the intended purpose may be,

has some effect on man and the environment.

The soil, including the seashore and agricultural lands, is also affected

by pollution as a result of the discarding of wastes. Naturally this

pollution creates health and economic problems which are not easy to

surmount.

24
National Office for Purification, Municipalities and the Battle Against

Pollution

Purification, as recognized by the World Health Organization, is geared

toward man's environment to improve all the conditions affecting or possibly

affecting natural growth, health and life expectancy. It has therefore been

involved in combatting all forms of pollution since its creation in 1975.

The Purification Office in Tunisia has limited its activities to fighting

water pollution by collecting, removing and draining used water and reusing

it in some cases. The al-Sharquiyah purification plant receives the liquid

wastes of an average of 300,000 inhabitants. The wastes are gradually broken

down and purified there, and part of them are used to irrigate state land in

Biskra. The office has recently begun to implement the purification plan for

Tunis to prevent the drainage of used water and rain water into the lake and

also to prevent the drainage of used water into the sea by building two

purification plants.

This project will make an important contribution toward alleviating the severity of pollution in Tunis. A productive battle against pollution must not

stop at these partial, limited measures. What are the office's projects for

water purification in Sfax? What are its projects to combat air and soil

pollution in all the areas which need them? Are there dozens of factories

bombarding citizens with their poisons, still unchecked? Is the health of

many citizens still threatened, and are many citizens deprived of enjoying

the sea and the seashore? Will constantly expanding areas of cultivated land

be left to perish and ever-increasing quantitites of fish left to die? There

is no answer to these legitimate questions in the programs and projects of

the government and agencies concerned. As long as this situation continues,

how can one blame the citizen for being angry and alarmed?

In addition to the purification office, many municipalities have worked to

clean cities of garbage and other wastes. They complain of a lack of interest. Whoever walks along narrow streets and alleys may be stopped in his

.tracks by terrible odors, attacked by an army of flies or tormented by mosquitoes. The work of municipalities in this field requires a great deal of

dedication and concern to remove filth in all places and at all times.

For A Comprehensive Plan to Combat Pollution

1. Pollution Conditions and Combatting Pollution

A precise plan must be drafted to eliminate pollution, because of the diseases it causes and the serious illnesses it threatens, in order to guarantee

an improved health situation for the segments of the population living in

polluted areas. This is one of the rights of citizens guaranteed by the

state.

Poor health conditions resulting from pollution directly affect the main

forces of production, in other words, the workers. Consequently, pollution

25
is an obstacle in the way of economic development. Despite this fact, those

who initiate projects in most instances pay no attention to the problem of

a healthy environment. They prefer to amass profits by all means and refuse

to invest in the purchase of pollution control equipment. The mentality of

easy profits and brutal capitalist relations is one of the main reasons for

the destruction of the environment and the growing danger of pollution.

Also, these selfish interests are currently prompting Western capitalism to

try to get rid of the industries which pollute the most, particularly the

chemical industries, and move them to developing countries. They thereby get

rid of pollution and profit from cheap labor. There is also growing industrialization in chaotic fashion and the absence of a long-term industrialization plan establishing a choice of sites for the concentration of factories

far removed from residential areas and facilitating the laying out of sewage

systems carrying industrial wastes.

These three phenomena explain the importance assumed by the problem of pollution in a country which is still backward.

If the main cause is the result of social democracy and hateful exploitation,

the two other causes are due to economic dependency which puts the country at

the mercy of foreign interests and fluctuations abroad and impedes development of the economy toward independence and precise planning. However, there

are factors which spur the increase of environmental pollution in several

areas of the country. They include the ineffective purification work undertaken by municipalities, the lack of awareness among many citizens of the

benefits of a clean environment and the lack of close ties between the municipality and the citizen which would make coordinated efforts possible, as

a result of the absence of political democracy in the country.

Thus a change in the economic, social and political situation is a necessary

condition for an effective battle against pollution.

2. Ways To Combat Pollution

In this context the relation of the citizen to the environment must be examined from two angles—changing the environment to preserve the health of

man and shield him from dangers on the one hand, and maintaining the healthy

state of the environment and protecting it from the damage inflicted by man

on the other hand. In order to do this, a series of steps must be taken,

including the following:

It will be necessary to collect all industrial wastes and either dispose of

them or recycle them. The same is true for household wastes and used water.

Recycling wastes is much more advantageous than disposing of them. Organic

matter subject to fermentation, like household garbage, can be converted into

fertilizer to enrich the soil. Used water, if treated biologically and

chemically, can be recycled for the irrigation of crops, for industry and for

refrigeration. Metals, boards and paper can be produced from garbage.

26
In general, the recycling of wastes is much more beneficial for the healthy

state of the environment, the welfare of citizens and the growth of the

economy. Let us not talk about the impossible. Recycling wastes requires

the allocation of significant investments and overcoming harmful habits

We base what we say on the fact that prevention is better than cure.

Open canals carrying wastes from factories and plants must be covered. Conduits must be built in place of ditches and used for the same purpose. Industrialists must be forced to use pollution control equipment.

In order to guarantee the benefits of these actions, a scientific center

should be set up to combat pollution. It should do laboratory analysis workdetermine the extent of pollution, the areas most afflicted, diseases caused'

by pollution, ways to use wastes which cause pollution; and study new projects from the point of view of their effect on the environment. This center

should be independent and able to publish its information with complete freedom. It would therefore be possible to put an end to efforts to cover up

like those that came to light in the Sfax municipal council's receipt of two

memoranda. One of them was from the ministry. The first claimed that water

pollution along the Sfax seashore was the result of the discharge of filthy

household water into the sea. The other was from the Ministry of Health and

said that analyses of the central laboratory indicated that sea water in

Sfax was polluted by fluoride, phosphate and various industrial wastes.

International regulations should be applied in the field of combatting pollution in all its forms, and laws consistent with these regulations should

be rigorously applied.

If we point out the gravity of the problem of pollution in Tunis, it is to

both inform the citizen so that he knows the true state of affairs and alert

the authorities so they may take the steps which the situation demands to

improve present conditions and prevent what might happen. The problem becomes more urgent every day, and the health of thousands of citizens is

constantly threatened.

Sfax

Pollution is a serious problem with reverberations on the psychological makeup and health of the inhabitants of Sfax. What is meant by pollution is the

spread of fumes in the atmosphere. These fumes are dangerous to man They

are absorbed by particles, particularly diffused dust particles, and are

dangerous to those who are exposed to them by breathing in air or by eatine

polluted food. 6

One evening in 1976 the sky suddenly became dark in the middle of the city

and the air was covered with dust and became heavy. The population suffered

a mass attack of coughing which became so acute as the minutes passed that

the sound of coughing arising from everyone's throat drowned out the roar of

automobiles and motorcycles!

27
The regional authorities intervened the next day and made the NPK Company

close its doors until it had installed a filter. The company did install

one and reopened. Due to the filter, however, pollution was directed toward

the sea, and the fish were therefore exposed to the same pollution as the

population. Especially affected were the well-known small fish al-sibaris

al-zurub which is caught near the coast. This came on top of the 1976

announcement of the closing of the Hishad, Casino and municipal beaches.

The impact spread with the closing of the Swimming and Rescue Club, and

citizens were therefore deprived of the pleasure of the sea.

Pollution has spread. On Sidi Mansour street it has reached Kilometer 5 at

the place called al-khalij. Perhaps pollution's onward march will continue

until it reaches the area of the threatened al-Shqaf beach which residents

of Sfax regard with impatience and great anxiety. This serious problem has

become the subject of conversation among the various segments of the population. The factories and plants which have sprouted in residential areas,

especially in the heart of the city, spew their poisons and gasses. The

most promiment of these are the Siyab and NPK companies. Citizens have come

to feel the dangers to their life and have demanded that immediate steps be

taken and practical measures applied to stop pollution.

However, it seems that officials are not eager to obtain results of the

pollution analyses submitted to the international Ikobol Company in 1976.

In this case one does not need to await the results of the analyses, because

time, no matter how short, does not help the situation. One cannot be content with issuing an order to the prime minister!

When Did Pollution Appear?

The danger of pollution in the Sfax began with the establishment of the NPK

Company in the heart of the city nearly 10 years ago. This danger has

greatly increased during the past 2 years.

Pollution in Sfax destroys not only people, but also nature. It kills plants,

dries up the soil and threatens animal life. Pollution of the sea has

reached such proportions recently that all the city beaches have become unfit for bathing and swimming, as we mentioned. Citizens have begun to advise

anyone going to the beach to watch out for the tar which is brought to shore

by the waves and sticks to various substances and trash. However, the danger

is greater than this, for the substances and trash can be cleaned. The real

danger at this moment is that man might put an end to life in the depths of

the sea. Some experts think that 1 ton of petroleum in its various forms

can pollute more than 30 hectares of water. The presence of petroleum and

its derivatives on the surface of the water prevents the renewal of oxygen

in the sea and its dissipation in the sun's rays. Thus the small grasses

and animals upon which fish feed are killed, and consequently, the fish themselves are killed. Thus it appears that the production of the resources of

the sea has declined, and fish are suffocating, especially the al-sibaris

al-zurub which we mentioned earlier.

28
Aside from the gas emissions of factory smokestacks and automobiles, which

are laden with phosphoric and nitrogenous matter poisoning the air, there is

also the danger of plastics which, when left to disintegrate, pollute the

soil with several strong acids. By way of example, we mention the area which

extends from the beginning of the Qabs road to kilometer 10 where the soil is

arid.

In connection with the pollution of grains, green crops, grasses and dairy

products, the inhabitants of this area, including both farm laborers and

owners, complained to the regional authorities. Doctors whom we contacted

all confirmed that residue from the stack emissions of these companies and

factories is 100 times greater than the normal level in the human body and

is therefore poisoning people's blood. The inevitable result of this pollution is that citizens suffer from serious diseases such as cancer and

emphysema. The incidence of bronchial disease has increased more than 50

percent recently. If the onward march of this pollution is not stopped soon,

citizens will continue to be threatened with deadly diseases.

The citizens of Sfax are trembling with fear, and pollution is a source of

alarm to them. They demand that a solution be found.

7811

CSO: 5000

29
SOUTH AFRICA

CEMENT PLANT TO HAVE DUST EMISSION CONTROL

Johannesburg FINANCIAL GAZETTE in English 28 Sep 78 p 3

[Text] CEMENT Services (Pty), the

projects engineering arm of

Pretoria Portland Cement,

has placed an order for gas-

' cleaning equipment worth

more than Rim with Brandt

Engineering, on behalf of

PPC group member, Northern Lime.

The equipment will control dust emission from the

exhaust gas stack of No. 7

rotary lime kiln at present

under construction at the

Lime Acres works of Northern Lime, some 160 km west

of Kimberley.

The electrostatic precipitator will incorporate

about 97% local content and

is designed for a dust collecting efficiency of 99,68%;

this means that almost

50 000 tons of dust will be

collected each year, when

the kiln is operating at full

load, and an air pollution

problem will be avoided.

The contract at the 1 000

tons/day lime kiln Is for the

design, supply, erection and

commissioning of the fume

extraction plant consisting

of ducting, trombone-cooler,

precipitator, chimney stack

and dust handling equipment.

The plant should be in

operation early in August

1979

[Photo on next page]

30
CSO: 5000

31
USSR

SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANTS FOR 29 CITIES

Moscow EKONOMIGHESKAYA GAZETA in Russian No 39, Sep 78 p 17

[_Article .by K. Sharonov, chief of the Main Administration for Interrepublic

Supply of Livestock Breeding Equipment [Soyuzglavzhivotnovodkomplekt] of the

USSR State Committee for Supply [Gossnab]« "Cities and Water"]

[Text] It would be difficult to list all, even the major cities, where construction of powerful sewage treatment plants is under way.

Since the time six years ago when Soyuzglavzhivotnovodkomplekt was entrusted

with fulfilling orders for equipment, instruments, cable and other articles

used in constructing sewage treatment plants much has been done. For the

years 1972-77 sewage treatment plants have been installed and put into operation having an overall capacity of more than six million cubic meters of sewage water daily (using biological and mechanical purification) in 35 cities,

including Leningrad, Volgograd, Kiev, Kuybyshev, Minsk, Gor'kiy and others.

In addition, 575 km of sewage conduits and 78 pumping stations began operations. This year sewage treatment plants must be built in 29 cities. Their

overall capacity will amount to almost 3-3 million cubic meters of effluents

daily. In all we are providing equipment to construct sewage treatment plants

in 140 cities.

At the same time we must recognize that the pace in the construction of sewage treatment plants in the cities is still too slow. What is the cause?

First, for a number of years the state planning committees of the union republics , in planning construction of sewage treatment facilities in cities,

have not allocated sufficient funds for capital investments in the cities.

For example, in the RSFSR, where sewage treatment plants are being built in

more than 70 cities, the average allocation is hardly more than 12 percent of

the estimated costs of the projects. Thus, construction requires more than

eight years at a time when standards of the USSR State Committee for Construction call for a construction period of three years on similar projects.

Such is the case in other republics. In the Ukraine, for example, the estimated cost for this year for component parts of sewage treatment plants is

32
226 million rubles of capital investments and 39 million have been allocated,

that is, the financing of construction is being stretched over approximately

six years.

Analysis of construction title lists presented by the RSFSR State Planning

Committee indicate that with the growth in the number of sewage treatment

plants being built and their estimated costs, annual capital investment remains at its previous level and even decreases. Is it necessary to say that

this leads to construction delays, scattering of funds and an increase in

unfinished production.

In many instances tardy introduction of sewage treatment plants has been

caused by unsatisfactory supervision of the construction and installation

work. Year after year there are shortcomings in dealing with the plans of

the USSR Ministry of Construction, the USSR Ministry of the Building Materials Industry, the USSR Ministry of Construction of Heavy Industry Establishments, the Leningrad engineering construction organization Leningradinzhstroy,

and the Moscow Oblast Construction Trust. Only 86 percent of the work was

completed last year in the RSFSR.

The construction of sewage treatment plants is going very slowly in Ivanovo, '

Engels, Kursk and Shchelkovo. The local construction Workers have an insurmountable ceiling at 50-70 percent of the program. On the whole throughout

the republic just last year, through the fault of the construction workers

in Ik cities including Ivanovo, Rybinsk, Yaroslavl*, Kazan' and others, there

was failure in supplying'the necessary equipment and components for sewage

treatment plants having an overall capacity of 2,115,000 cubic meters of water daily.

Soyuzglavzhivotnovodkomplekt is delivering equipment in dozens of cities and

we are striving to see that our consumers receive it in full and on time.

However still not always does the outfitting and equipping of construction

projects take place as one might think.

An operational solution to technical questions associated with supplying all

necessary components is complicated by the fact that capital construction

departments [OKS] or main administrations of capital construction [GUKS] who,

as a rule, are entrusted by oblast executive committees and municipal executive committees with the function of customers for the construction of sewage

treatment plants at times have no qualified specialists for these structures.

Experience shows that all questions on component supply are being resolved

effectively and skillfully there where sections of the municipal economy administrations serve as the customers. They exercise better control over the

construction process and its quality. Good experience in this regard has

been gained by the Leningrad city executive committee which transferred the

function of client from the GUKS to the administration for water supply and

sewage systems. I think that this matter should be organized in this manner

everywhere.

33
As before the question about production of specialized equipment for sewage

treatment plants in cities remains acute. The enterprises of the Ministry

of Chemical Machine Building can in no way organize production in the necessary amounts of mechanical aerators, scroll centrifuges, special sewage system pumps and other equipment. Special alarm is aroused by the lack of production of turboblowers without which biological purification of sewage, water is not possible.

With raised sanitary standards in the purification of sewage water discarded

into water resources, the planning institutes have begun planning pre-purification units as part of the sewage treatment plants. However, series production of updated micro-filters for mechanical purification and pre-purification of effluents (with a productivity of 1,000-2,000 cubic meters an hour)

has still not been set up. Due to the lack of standardized equipment, plans

call for individual pre-purification units. Naturally, there will be a need

to use non-standard equipment, and its manufacture is quite difficult. I

think it would be expedient to develop and approve a list of non-standard

equipment for sewage treatment plants dependent upon a centralized supply of

rolled iron.

In recent years serious attention has been given to improving purification

technology, in particular, to the processing and utilization of sewage water

residue. In several cities instead of sludge pits which cover large areas,

mechanical dehydration units are being built. However, the use of such advanced technology on a large scale is difficult due to a shortage of special

equipment—drum vacuum filters, centrifuges, residue drying devices with oncoming jet sprays.

In this matter of protection and the efficient use of water resources it is

difficult to overestimate the role played by highly efficient sewage treatment plants. They reliably protect the rivers, lakes and seas from pollutants and contribute to the replenishment of the fish supply. We must intensify our concern for the construction of sewage treatment plants. We must

take all measures to see that they are built on time and are of high quality.

8504

GSO: 5000

34
USSR

LASER MONITORS THE ATMOSPHERE

Riga SOVETSKAYA LATVIYA in Russian 3 August 78, p 4

[Article from pictorial review of TASS ]

[.Text] Scientists of the Institute of Atmospheric Optics of the Siberian

Department of the USSR Academy of Sciences jointly with colleagues of the

SKB [special design office] "Optika" of the Siberian Department of the USSR

Academy of Sciences have created unique devices--laser locators to determine

meteorological and optical parameters of the atmosphere.

The laser locator "Loza-3" makes it possible to measure the level of aerosol

pollution on an area 10-15 kilometers.

The senior scientific colleague of the Institute of Atmospheric Optics,

candidate of jfhysicomathematical sciences B. Kaul' (on the left), and

Engineer of the SKB G. Uzhakov conduct atmospheric sounding with new laser

locator "Loza-3"

9035

CSO: 5000

35
USSR

SCIENCE CENTER 'INTEGRAL' STUDIES POLLUTION

Moscow SOVETSKAYA ROSSIYA in Russian 9 Jun 78, p 2

[Article by V. Aleskovskiy, head of A. A. Zhdanov Leningrad State University,

corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Sciences, and K. Kondrat'yev,

corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Sciences: "Birth of "Integral1']

[Text] Among the numerous major problems associated with the rapid development

of the scientific and technical revolution of great importance now is environmental protection and the rational use of natural resources. These problems, as a rule, have an interindustry nature and require for their solution

the participation of many ministries and departments, and the involvement of

large groups of scientists who are studying at the junctions of different

scientific directions. But it is not so easy under the conditions of departmental subdivision to achieve the necessary integration of the scientific

search, and to concentrate the efforts of specialists in the main direction.

It is most realistic to do this in the higher school within whose walls hundreds of thousands of highly qualified specialists are working.

Recently a group of scientists of Leningrad University earnestly began to

work out this urgent all-state problem.

At the scientific council the conclusion was drawn that the university should

concentrate attention on the concept of socialist use of nature. This decision was based in the first place on the indication of Comrade L. I. Brezhnev

in his speech at the October (1976) Plenum of the CPSU Central Committee that

"there is now no task more urgent than pulling the agrarian sector of our

economy up to the most modern level."

Work in the interests of the agroindustrial complex of the country has become

for us pivotal in this respect. It was important to stimulate the development of the appropriate interdisciplinary studies. In this respect ä joint

decision of the RSFSR Minvuz, USSR Minvodkhoz, and the Gosle>khoz of the USSR

Council of Ministers created the scientific center "Integral" of the Leningrad University. Its main organizational unit became the Special Design

Bureau of Aerospace Apparatus.

36
The main directions of its activity were also defined. Here a small circle

of main problems has been isolated, and previously accumulated experience

is being successfully used. The university already for many years has been

developing methods and apparatus to track the condition of the environment

from space. The Leningrad instruments have been installed on tens of manned

spacecraft and orbital stations. Here the primary attention of the specialists was focused on the problem of the further development of methods to

study the environment and natural resources from space. The USSR Ministry of

Land Reclamation and Water Resources that is interested in obtaining specific

scientific recommendations rendered great support in this matter. It was

decided to significantly expand the studies conducted. For these purposes

in Moscow, Kiev and Minsk there own types of branches of our OKB [special

Design Bureau] have been created. They will participate in the solution of

many urgent questions. And primarily the available space information should

be identified with information for the same regions, but obtained directly

by ground observations. This is why we need a single technique to determine

the resources of the soil, fluctuations in the level of reservoirs, and degree

of filtering through the wall of irrigating canals. It is no less important

to make a detailed study of the water and wind erosion, to pinpoint the zones

of swamps and swampy lands, underground waters, and so forth. In the past

year in a number of regions of the Leningradskaya oblast and northwest USSR

that are included in the honchernozem zone a major comprehensive expedition

was working.

The specialists of "Integral" have set the task of using the accumulated data

to improve the efficiency of land reclamation measures. We recall that in

the Tenth Five-Year Plan over 40 billion R were allocated for this work. Tile

sum is enormous, and it is clear that each percent of increase in the efficiency in its use is turned over by hundreds of millions of R.

The national economy needs a further, at the same time significant expansion

of land reclamation measures. Thus the acute deficiency of water in a number

of southern regions produces the need to transfer part of the flow of the

northern rivers of the European territory and Siberia to the south. This

measure is of enormous scale. But its realization requires the thorough estimates of possible ecological consequences.

This also forced us to undertake developments in the 'field of ecological

modeling and prediction. Of primary importance here are the economic aspects

of the problem--solution of the tasks of economic efficiency of the land

reclamation measures. It is not clear, for example, if it is always necessary

to increase the volume of water transfer into the definite region? Is it

not simpler to invest resources in improving the efficacy of the already available resources by optimizing the pattern of irrigation, eliminating losses

due to filtering, and so forth.

Specialists in the department of applied mathematics and control processes

in cooperation with their colleagues are developing a scheme for the optimal

distribution of capital investments for the branches up to 1990. This is

37
the most complicated task. Its solution requires not only specific economic

estimates, but also consideration, at the same time quantitative, of all

possible ecological consequences. Leningrad University with dozens of its

departments, scientific research institutes, design bureaus, laboratories,

with the experimental plant, and experimental production basis represents

a major scientific training association.

Numerous groups in the university are working in all the main regions of

natural and social sciences. It is clear that such a large center of the

higher school is capable of participating in any comprehensive scientific

programs. Being one of the generators of new ideas it is obliged not only

to bring them to the consciousness of the broad scientific community, but

also to develop on their basis scientific research and developments that are

necessary to accelerate the rates of technical progress, and to attract to

participation in them other research, as well as production groups. "Integral"

is also aimed at solving these interindustry tasks.

9035

CSO: 5000

38
USSR

ALL-UNION CONFERENCE ON PESTICIDES AND POLLUTION

Dushanbe KOMMUNIST TADZHIKISTANA in Russian 9 Sep 78 p 3

[Article by 0. Sobolev: "A Scientific Approach to the Application of Pesticides."]

[Text] On 6-7 September in Dushanbe the First Ail-Union Symposium on Urgent

Hygienic Problems in the Application of Pesticides and Biological Means to

Combat Agricultural Pests under the Conditions in Central Asia and Kazakhstan

took place. Its participants—scientists from Moscow and the fraternal union

republics—listened to and discussed more than 40 reports which summarized

data from scientific research carried out in recent years by hygienists, toxicologists, epidemoligists and specialists on the protection of vegetation.

The protection of nature and the health of man based on a solid scientific

approach to suing chemical means to protect plant life is one of the important tasks resulting from the decisions of the 25th CPSU Congress of the

July (1978) Plenum of the CC CPSU. Chemicalization, as the plenum underscored,

remains one of the important factors in the further intensification of agricultural production. Therefore, it is important to render aid to the practices in the development and accurate fulfillment of agrochemical principles

for using the various preparations.

For a number of years already research has been carried out successfully in

the field of hygiene and in the normalization of pesticide application, in

the study of their influence on man's health, and in the development of biological measures to combat agricultural pests. The symposium made note of

the major contributions in solving these problems made by the Tadzhik Scientific Research Institute for Epidemiology and Hygiene; the Institute of Zoology and Parasitology of the Tadzhikistan Academy of Sciences; the Tashkent

and Dushanbe Medical institutes; and the Scientific Research Institute for

Sanitation, Hygiene and Occupational Diseases (Tashkent). Positive results

are coming about from the close contacts between these institutes with institutions of the ministries of agriculture that are working in the field of the

protection of plant life and with institutes involved in farming, gardening

and viniculture.

39
Forum participants heard reports from Tadzhik scientists on results for a

systematic study of agricultural sources of chemical pollution to the environment, on measures being developed for the hygienic selection of pesticides

and their safe use under conditions of high summer temperatures, and on the

integrated method developed here to combat agricultural pests and diseases.

The symposium developed recommendations aimed to further deepen scientific

research in a given field and worked out methods for the coordination of work

of corresponding research institutions in Central Asia and Kazakhstan.

The results of the symposium were summarized by academician of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences, director of the Ail-Union Scientific Research Institute for Hygiene and the Toxicology of Pesticides, Polymers and Plastics, L.

I. Medved'. He underscored the prime importance of a forum for further development of scientific work in the field of hygiene and the toxicology of

pesticides being used in our country's agriculture.

8504 .

CSO: 5000

40
USSR

KRASNODARSKIY KRAY EARTHQUAKE

Moscow TRUD in Russian 5 Sep 78 p 4

[Article by L. Kramarenko and G. Klyucherov: "Epicenter in the Black Sea"]

[Text] On 3 September at 3:21 and 16 seconds an earthquake was registered

in the Krasnodarskiy Kray. According to data from the Severo-Kavkazskaya

Seismic Observatory of the USSR Academy of Sciences, the earthquake's center

was located in the sea close to the resort towns of Dzhugba and ArkhipoOsipovka. On the shore close to the epicenter the force of the underground

shock reached five-six and four in Krasnodar and Sochi on the international

12-point scale. No damage was noted.

. . .As Saturday was becoming Sunday the night was quiet and starry over the

village of Arkhipo-Osipovka. Suddenly a rumble was heard. At first it came

as if it were from afar and was gentle. Then it drew nearer and turned into

a continuous drone. And then a roar resounded. There was a sensation as if

there was the crash of thunder of unusual force. People were naturally asleep. It seemed as if someone with enormous strength was moving their beds

and sofas, jolting cabinets and small desks, and shaking chandeliers. Those,

who went to their windows, noted five-story buildings rocking.

Fortunately, the earthquake was of short duration. The tremors were not

continuous nor clearly defined. Soon all activity ceased.

And by the next morning it was clear that this large village was the closest

of all to the epicenter where underground forces created an uproar. Specialists later explained that the force of the seismic center was approximately the same as that of the earthquake that took place in Tashkent. No

damage occurred. On this occasion the underground natural elements raged

at a depth of JO km beneath the earth's surface, while in Uzbekistan the

center of the earthquake was at a depth of 8 km.

Presently the epicenter of the earthquake was under the sea's botton, approximately '50-60 km from the shore. No powerful waves or water currents pounded

the shore.

41
We spoke with the secretary of the village council of Arkhipo-Osipovka in

the Gelendzhikskiy Rayon, M. Kukushkina and asked if she might tell us about

what happened.

"The tremors caused no physical damage to our inhabitants," she said. "It's

true that several chimneys collapsed and cracks appeared in apartment houses.

Not a single building, even the oldest and most unstable, fell down. All

utilities—gas, light, water and telephone—remained operable."

The greatest damage caused by the earthquake was in the resort town of Dzhankhot (Gelendzhikskiy Rayon), although not everywhere, and* in the region of the

left bank of the Khotsetay River. Actually even here not a single building

came crashing down and not a single person was injured. But those vacationing at the Dzhankhot hotel were forced to leave three of the buildings because these structures had large cracks and were in need of repair. The

chairman of the Gelendzhikskiy city council, N. Satarov, informed us that

all damage was being dealt with.

The earthquake was felt by all resort areas situated on the Black Sea shoreline of the Krasnodarskiy Kray. Depending upon the epicenter Which registered four to five points, no damage or harm was done to structures or people . In Sochi, situated at a distance far from Arkhipo-Osipovka the force

was slight and many people took no notice of the small earth tremors. The

inhabitants of Krasnodar felt the earthquake more intensely because they

were just 100-110 km from the center of the earthquake's focus. But there

was no serious damage here. In the kray center, as in all cities and inhabited areas of the Kuban', life and work go on at a normal pace.

A

^

S

!?°fTo^1f

ntlfic coworker of the Severo-Kavkazskaya Seismic Observatory

of the USSR Academy of Sciences, candidate of physics and mathematics, M.

Zlarayskiy, said that there was nothing sensational in the fact that an earthquake took place in the kray. A seismic zone extends along the entire coast

line. In conjunction with this there is the Gaucusus mountain system-a

young one in which mountains are forming. Therefore, tectonic forces are

mil6ly °

p

?

ra*inS.in this regi°n- For example, the last time there was an

earthquake in Sochi was in 1970. Now the scientists and specialists are

processing the material and more precise data will become known later

8504

GSO: 5000

42
USSR

LAKE ISSYK-KUL' POLLUTION CONTROL

Frunze SOVETSKAYA KIRGIZIYA in Russian 2 JuL 78, p 3

[Article by K. Karakeyev, president of the Kirgiz SSR Academy of Sciences,

corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Sciences; N. Adyshev, academician

of the Kirgiz SSR Academy of Sciences; G. Yar-Mukhamedov, head of the Kirgiz

SSR Administration of Hydrometeorological Service; N. Obukhov, deputy minister

of Land Reclamation and Water Resources of the Kirgiz SSR; M. Bol'shakov,

and P. Grigorenko, corresponding members of the Kirgiz SSR Academy of Sciences;

and M. Kaplinskiy, head of the Department of Land Reclamation of the VNPO

"Soyuzvodavtomatika": "How to Help the Lake"]

[Text] The basin of Lake Issyk-Kul' is located in the

northeast section of Kirgizia, is distinguished by a

fairly mild climate, and is one of the most picturesque

corners not only of Kirgizia, but also of the Soviet Union.

The lake which is unique in beauty and in area (6,200 km2)

and which occupies about one-third of the entire area of the

hollow promotes the leveling of fluctuations in temperature

and air humidity. The rare advantageous combination of sea

and mountain landscapes have already attracted here hundreds

of thousands of recreationers and tourists. Issyk-Kul'

belongs to the all-union health resorts. The basin of the

lake has been declared a state preserve.

The mountains that surround the lake are rich in minerals

and outflows of healing mineral waters.

Currently the population of the Issyk-Kul'skaya oblast is 380,000 people,

and the forecast for 1990 expects 560,000. The total number of recreationers

in the Sanatoriums, holiday , and tourist camps for 1990 is expected to be

1.5 million people.

The basin has 1.6086 million hectares of agricultural lands. Currently for

the needs of agriculture and water supply 25-30 cubic meters of water are

taken per second, and in the future about 50 will be required.

Certain people propose stopping the development of irrigation in the Issyk-Kul'

hollow. But it goes without saying that it is impossible to do this. The

43
continuous growth of the population requires a drastic increase in the productivity of the extant lands, and to expand even more the irrigated areas.

Another question also arises--is it possible to reconcile oneself to the

drop in the lake's level, taking into consideration the cyclicity of the

climate factors, the exchange of low water cycles for high water, which will

reduce the rate of drop in level. However the studies of a number of Soviet

and foreign scientists indicate that the total increase in aridity and the

continental nature of the climate that began at the end of the 19th century

will continue at least until the year 2200.

Fairly conservative hydrological predictions indicate that by the year 2000

one should expect a further drop in the level by 1.5-3 meters. Such a reduction in the level will entail a number of unpleasant consequences and significant losses. The retreat of water from the shores will have a negative effect

on fishing, navigation (the mooring lines will be on dry land or shoals.),

pier facilities, health resort beaches, hydrogeological and soil-forming

processes of the coastal zone, and so forth. Thus all the currently extant

excellent natural therapeutic beaches of the first and second categories

(Choktal, Dolinka, Cholpon-Ata, Bosteri, Komsomol, Sukhoy Khrebet, Kara-Bulun,

Tossor, Ton, and others) will be lost, since the shoreline will retreat from

them by 500-1,000 meters. More than 2 million tons of therapeutic mud will

be condemned to death. According to the approximate calculation of the expert

commission of the Kirgiz SSR Gosplan the total losses for 1976-2000 are estimated as an imposing sum exceeding 350 million R. Not all the losses can be

estimated. As is known Lake Issyk-Kul« lies on the path of the migration of

numerous species of birds from Siberia to India and other countries of South

Asia. For them the coastal band with its swampy water lands is a refuge.

Finally the ring of thickets of sea buckthorn and other valuable plants will

die which back in the 1930's occupied the band around the lake up to 3-4 km

wide. A change in the ecological conditions of the band near the lake will

entail negative consequences which cannot be estimated in a monetary expression.

In order to transform Issyk-Kul' into an all-union health resort it is necessary to preserve the ecological condition of the basin, and further develop

agriculture to provide the continually growing population and flow of recreationers and tourists with food products. It is necessary to transform the

plain zone around Issyk-Kul» into a blossoming oasis, abounding not only in

the normal agricultural crops, but also in different arboreal and bush plantings, including ornamental. In the rest areas and around the populated points

it remains to create shady blocks, groves, avenues, etc. Without the development of irrigation the large areas of the Issyk-Kul' hollow will remain

lifeless, sultry, and rocky desert sections. An attentive analysis of all of

these circumstances and the forecasting balance calculations made lead a

number of prominent scientists of the Soviet Union and Kirgizia arid the expert

commission of the Kirgiz SSR Gosplan to a conclusion on the urgent need to

stabilize the current level of Lake Issyk-Kul'.

"Kirgizgiprovodkhoz" has examined several variants to the solution to this

problem, of which in the near future two can be realized. It is expedient

44
to transfer part of the flow of the river Kar-Kara (basin of the river

Ili) in a volume of about 300 million cubic meters. Losses in the basin of

the river Ili will be only about 2.5%. Here it is necessary to build a dam

and a canal. The cost of construction is about 12 million R. The second

project-to transfer the flow of the river Arabel'su (basin of the river

Malyy Naryn) into the river Dzhouku (basin of Issyk-Kul«) in a volume of

about 120 million cubic meters. The losses of flow for the lower stream of

^ ?

a

y£\T be only about 1%. The cost of the work-about 3 million R.

The fulfillment of these projects will solve the task of stabilizing the

water level in the lake for the next 20-30 years.

In the more distant future it is proposed to realize other much more complicated and expensive variants which make it possible not only to solve the

task of stabilizing the water level in the lake, but also the complex problems

of developing hydraulic power, irrigation of the lands of Kirgizia and

Kazakhstan in the Chuyskiy hollow, and other problems. Of them the variant

of transferring up to half of the flow of the river Sary-Dzhaz (basin of the

river Terim) and the river Turgen'-Aksu (basin of Issyk-Kul') in a volume of

2 cubic kilometers for comprehensive use should be considered the most advantageous. Here it remains to build two reservoirs, two tunnels 34 and 14 km

long, a number of hydraulic engineering structures, and a hydroelectric

station. This variant in a radical manner solves the task of stabilizing the

level of the lake, but requires extensive searches and studies, and a large

volume of major work in difficult to reach high-mountain conditions. Theretore the most real currently are inexpensive and fairly simple projects to

transfer part of the-flow of the rivers Kar-Kara and Arabel'su.

The problems of Issyk-Kul' are complicated, and require a serious and deep

approach, and considerable scientific studies. In relation to this the

proposal of V. Bukin in the article "Why Issyk-Kul« is Growing Shallow"

(SOVETSKAYA KIRGIZIYA, No 137, 14 June 1978) seems to us simplified and

deviating from a serious solution to the problem upon which many scientific

research and planning organizations are laboring. The problem will be solved

in accordance with the directives of the 25th CPSU Congress and the tasks for

transforming Issyk-Kul- into an all-union health resort and the largest agricultural region in the republic.

9035

CS0: 5000

45
USSR

POLLUTION CONTROL MEASURES IN AZERBAYDZHAN

Baku BAKINSKIY RABOCHIY in Russian 1 Aug 78, p 1

[Article: "Nature, the State and the Citizen"]

[Text] The scientific and technical revolution with its rapidly increasing

efrect on the environment, the dynamic development of the national economy,

and the growth of material and spiritual needs of the Soviet people have

made environmental protection, the rational use and reproduction of natural

resources one of the most important all-state tasks. The fulfillment of

plans for economic and social development of the country depends on its

successful solution.

"To use nature as differently as possible," stated the. General Secretary of

!r, o

ntral

,

Coramittee>Comräde L. I. Brezhnev in the Fiscal Report of the

CPSU Central Committee to the 25th Congress. "One can-and the history of

mankind knows many examples for this--leave behind oneself barren and lifeless spaces hostile to man. But one can and should, comrades, enrich nature,

and help nature to more fully reveal its vital forces. There is such a

simple expression known to all "blossoming kray." This is the name for lands

where knowledge, experience of people, their affection and their love for

nature truly work wonders. This is our socialist path."

The Central Committee of the Azerbaydzhan Communist Party and the government

of the republic are focusing daily attention on the problems of the environment, and are supervising the implementation of a series of major environmental protection measures. New evidence for the concern of the state for

man's environment was the eighth session of the Azerbaydzhan SSR Supreme

Soviet of the Ninth Convocation which took place the other day. It examined

the question "the condition and measures for further improvement in environmental protection in the Azerbaydzhan SSR in light of the tasks set by the

25th CPSU Congress." In the documents of the session a detailed analysis is

given for the work done, deficiencies are revealed, and specific tasks are

defined for the next years.

In the Tenth Five-Year Plan for environmental protection in the republic it

is planned to spend over 160 million R--almost double than in the Ninth.

46
Considerable resources have been allocated to refresh the air basin, especially in industrial cities, today at the enterprises there are 2,900 gaspurifying and dust-collecting units. But many of them operate inefficiently,

and ab out cne-Mrd are inoperative.

Due to the extensively developed construction in Azerbaydzhan of water treatment facilities, systems of circulating water supply, the introduction of

waste-free technological processes, the discharge of polluted industrial and

domestic sewage into the coastal zones of the Caspian and other reservoirs

has been reduced. But the necessary cleanliness of the sea has not yet been

guaranteed. Thus there are no bases for calm. The volume of today's and

the future work is too great, and there is too little time remaining until

1985 when the discharge of untreated waters into the basin of the Caspian

must be completely stopped according to the decision of the USSR government.

The service for protection of agricultural crops from hail damage is successfully operating. This year it alertly has saved 737,000 hectares of fields

and orchards. Its efficiency is indicated by the fact that in the first six

months less than one-tenth percent of the protected area suffered from hail.

A remarkable contribution of the public in the creation of new orchards and

parks, and improvement in the landscape and climate is the participation of

the residents of Baku in the landscaping of the capital of Azerbaydzhan.

Mass subbotniks and Voskresniks have helped to refresh the air which the

1.5 million people in the city breathe, since during the last seven years the

area of green plantings has increased 2.3-fold, and today each citizen of Baku

has about 50 square meters.

Concern for the land, its welfare, and improvement of its fertility--were

the main directions of environmental protection. On the plains of Azerbaydzhan

extensive work is being systematically conducted for melioration of the

saline areas, and increase in the irrigated areas. Much less attention is

being focused on the mountain and foothill regions, where hundreds of thousands

of hectares of sloped lands are subject to the destructive effect of erosion,

are often incorrectly used, and therefore produce low yields. For anti-erosion

measures insignificant resources are allocated, but they are also poorly developed. With a scientific substantiated development of the sloped lands they

will become an important reserve for improving the productivity of plant

growing and animal husbandry, and will help the republic fulfill the decree

of the July (1978) Plenum of the CPSU Central Committee "on the further development of agriculture in the USSR."

The highest organ of state power of the Azerbaydzhan SSR has adopted a decree

that contains a broad program of work. The Supreme Soviet has expressed the

conviction that the ministries and departments, Soviets of people's deputies,

economic and social organizations, enterprises, k>lkhozes and sovkhozes,

scientific institutions, and all the workers in the republic under the leadership of the party organizations with honor will fulfill the tasks set by the

25th CPSU Congress for the further improvement in environmental protection,

the efficient use and reproduction of its resources for an accelerated and

47
comprehensive development of industry and agriculture, and to create the

favorable conditions for the life, health, work and rest of the workers.

The new constitutions of the USSR and our republic also oblige this. In

the Soviet Union, in the developed socialist society the state and citizen

implement environmental protection. The state--with its legislative and

executive power, colossal economic and scientific potential. The citizen--

with his love for his native nature, active living position--man who himself

is a particle of nature.

9035

CSO: 5000

48
USSR

POLLUTION BY OIL PRODUCTS

Moscow VODNYY TRANSPORT in Russian 13 Jul 78, p 2

[Article by L. Klyava: "For the Cleanliness of the Sea"]

[Text] The cleanliness of the environment is a truly national concern. This

is also stated in the USSR Constitution that obliges all Soviet people to

have a prudent attitude toward nature, and to think of how we will leave the

earth for the future generations. The post of people's control that operates

on the tanker "Tukums" of the Latvian marine steamship company has conducted,

for example, a raid whose purpose was to establish how measures are implemented on the ship that are necessary to prevent pollution of the environment, and in the first place of sea water. The patrols established that

all the novices that come to the tanker pass instruction during which they

become familiar with the standard documents on the rules of preventing pollution of the sea during anchorage, when the diesel boat is receiving or

releasing liquid cargo.

A strict and efficient supervision has been set up in order not to permit

the smallest leaks of oil products. The people's controllers themselves

certified during the inspection that the drainholes of the cargo deck ax« at'the

moment of filling and draining of oil products tightly plugged up by wedges

and cemented. The lookout service conducts a constant and demanding analysis

of the fuel consumption in the boiler unit, and watches that there is not an

intensive discharge of smoke into the atmosphere not only during anchorage

at port, but also during the course of the ship at sea. Food wastes are

collected in containers especially made for this purpose.

The maritime post of people's control noted not only the positive experience,

but also uncovered certain deficiencies that require the interference of the

port powers. Thus, the patrols established that in the Klaypeda port on

the territory of the oil section the moorages do not have containers for

food wastes and garbage. The participants of the raids notified the administration of the ship of certain omissions on the diesel boat itself.

"Let the sea be clean"--the people's controllers of the tanker "Tukums" are

firmly armed with this motto.

9035

CSO: 5000

49
USSR

SOCHI BACK TO NORMAL FOLLOWING FLOODS

Moscow TRUD in Russian 16 Sep 78 p 4 LD

/Report by L. Kramarenko: "Sochi Floods^/

/Text/ Last Sunday Sochi was lashed by continuous heavy rainfall from early

morning. There were strong gusts of wind.

Three gigantic water spouts suddenly formed in the sea one after another.

Carrying many thousands of tons of water, they traveled along the Sochi,

Matsetsa and Bzugu river valleys as far as their upper reaches where,

losing force, they released their water with a crash. A heavy wave of water

rushed down from the mountains with the speed of an express train.

Literally just a few minutes later there was an abrupt rise in the level of

the river Sochi, which passes through the resort. It reached its highest

point of 4.27 meters by noon. The water level exceeded by 1.47 meters the

highest mark on the riverbank parapet fortification. The water, gushing over

the parapet and smashing everything in its path, swept along streets in the

city's Tsentralnyy and Khostinskiy rayons. Debris from old bridges, trees,

bushes and various objects were carried along by the current. The surfaces

of Roz, Sovetskaya, Naberezhnaya, Vorovskaya, Gagarin and other streets were

covered by water 1 meter deep. The rushing, turbid water burst into basements and doorways of buildings. The city's electricity and telephones were

temporarily cut off.

The water level in the river subsided within just 2 hours.

The inhabitants of Sochi and various city services set about bringing things

back to normal without waiting for the flood to completely abate.

The lower stories and basements of many buildings were damaged as a result

of the floods. The rainwater drainage system was blocked, and public gardens

and streets were made impassable by mud flows. It is only thanks to the

decisive and prompt action that was taken that it was possible to reduce

the extent of the damage to the city economy and also to avert casualties

among the population.

Today Sochi has been almost fully brought back to normal, true, in some places

particularly affected by the floods, repair and cleaning work is still in

progress, but that is not having any effect on the work routine in the city.

CSO: 5000

50
USSR

BRIEFS

EARTHQUAKE IN KIRGIZIA, UZBEKISTAN—Tashkent, October 9, TASS—An earthquake

took place at 17 hours 20 minutes of Moscow time on October 8 in the territory

of Kirgizia and Uzbekistan. Its Jorce in Osh /Kirgiz SSR/ was 5-6, in

Ferganah, Tashkent and Andizhan /Uzbek SSR/—four at the 12 point scale.

The epicentre of the earthquake was in the area of the Soviet-Chinese border

in the eastern part of _the Altay ridge. There were, no casualties or

destructions. /Text/ /Moscow TASS in English 1130 GMT 9 Oct 78 LD/

EARTHQUAKE, TREMORS HIT KISHINEV—Kishinev—An earthquake took place in

Moldavia on 2 October at 23 hours 29 minutes Moscow time. In Kishinev,

the capital of the republic, tremors were felt; the force of the tremors

was four, measured according to a 12-point scale. In the republic's southern

regions, the force of the tremors was four and a half points. The duration of

the underground vibrations /Kolebaniya/ did not exceed'30 seconds. As a

TASS correspondent was told by Anatoliy Drumya, director of the Geophysics

and Geology Institute of the Moldavian Academy of Sciences, the epicenter of

the earthquake was situated 235 kilometers from Kishinev, near the town of

Focsani in Romania. There is no destruction and are no victims in Moldavia.

/Text/ /Moscow TASS International Service in Russian 1045 GMT 3 Oct 78 LD7

ANTIPOLLUTION BOOM BARRIER--A boom barrier was turned over today to a state

commission in the port of the tanker fleet of the Primorskoye Steamship Line.

This is the first such technical structure in the system of the.USSR Ministry

of the Maritime Fleet and is designed to protect the bay's water area from

pollution by petroleum products. [Text] [Vladivostok Domestic Service in

Russian 0935 GMT 20 Sep 78 OW]

CSO: 5000

51
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

BALTIC, 'WORLD'S' DIRTIEST SEA' IMPROVING WITH CLEANUP DRIVE

Helsinki HELSINGIN SANOMAT in Finnish 17 Sep 78 p 28

[Article by Mikko Eronen: "Baltic Sea Protection Agreement Begins To

Produce Results; World's Dirty Sea Washes Its Face"]

[Text] The Baltic Sea is gradually improving its reputation. As late

as the beginning of this decade it was still actually termed officially

as the world's most polluted sea.

Now that the Baltic Sea Protection Agreement has been in effect for

about 4 years, partial alleviation of the situation can already be

noted and control of the deterioration is gaining ground.

About 140 million people live in the coastal countries of the Baltic Sea.

Industrial establishments have become grouped in the deltas of 60 rivers

that drain into it. About 70,000 merchant vessels annually ply the Baltic

Sea.

The Baltic Sea has unfortunately acquired seven industrial states on its

coasts, all of which enjoy a high standard of living, which results in

a high outflow of toxicants and wastes.

Small wonder then that only about 5 years ago the Baltic Sea was

generally referred to as a sewer and dirt sea. The Baltic is still

being excessively loaded with wastes, poisons, and oils, and by changing

the ocean environment by altering the bottom, the shores, and the rivers.

Nonetheless, a change toward a cleaner Baltic Sea has begun. The control

of toxic pollution is increasing, public awareness is improving, and

a Baltic Sea protection agreement, the so-called "Helsinki Agreement,"

has come into being.

52
About 5 years ago, when the protection agreement was in preparation, the

deterioration was at an alarming stage in certain areas, but already

partial improvement can be noted, although all of the countries have

not yet even ratified the agreement.

The Baltic Sea is so notorious for its poisons and filth that the

FAO, the agriculture and food organization of the United Nations, early

this decade designated it as the most polluted sea in the world.

The Baltic Sea has become famous for its poisons because they have

been under study for a long time. The long-term investigations have

been possible because of the long-term retention and enrichment

of the poisons in Baltic waters where the exchange of water is very

slow and occurs sporadically.

At the beginning of this decade, when preparations were opened for the

Baltic Sea protection agreement, many parts of the Baltic were like

sewers. Human, agricultural and industrial wastes and poisons oozed,

or drained into it like roaring waterfalls, completely untreated.

The deterioration of the sea had been noted already before that,

but treatment measures were local, without any coordination.

In 1974 the Ocean Research Council and the Ocean Research Scientific

Committee undertook a study, the results of which produced the following

brief picture of the Baltic Sea:

The heavy metals level of the open seas approximate those of the natural

state. The cadmium and mercury levels in the coastal areas, particularly

in the sourthern portions of the Baltic Sea, have clearly increased, and

the heavy metals level is less than in the North Sea. The level of the

chlorated carbohydrates (DDT and its derivatives and of PCB) is

of the same magnitude as those in the North Sea, but several times higher

than those, for example, in the interior waters of Finland.

Mercury Already Decreasing

The results of that study are several years old and already at present

improvement can be noted in the toxicant situation. The amount of

mercury in fish taken in the coastal areas is two thirds smaller than

it was 10 years ago, and the amount of DDT has decreased after the ban

on its use went into effect in the coastal countries.

But the level of PCB substances continue as black marks on the poison

charts. The PCB level has not decreased despite the restrictions on

its use.

53
About 30 to 40 tons of mercury are released into the Baltic Sea annually,

mainly by rivers burdened with it by industry. About 200 tons of cadmium

are released into the sea and about 5,400 tons of lead, mainly through

the atmosphere as traffic exhaust gases.

The DDT flows mainly from agricultural areas, but the amount of it is

not known. The PCB escapes into the Baltic Sea with industrial waste

water and directly from the atmosphere. The quantities are not known.

Exceptionally high levels of environmental poisoning can be measured

in the channels around Denmark and in the waters fronting Stockholm,

Oulu, Pori, and Kotka.

Economic Recession Aids the Sea

During the first half of this decade the forest industry was still

the major polluter, particularly in the areas of the sea that are under

Finnish control, but the amounts of pollutants discharged by the sources

have decreased to the point where they conform to the objectives of

the environmental protection programs. However, the main reason for

this is the diminishing of industrial production owing to the economic

recession.

The damage caused by oil remains at the former level. During the past

decade it was at the customary level, but it has since decreased in pace

with the tightening of regulations. About 40 percent of the discharge

is intentional, owing to oil tanker mishaps. About 300 discharges occur

annually from Finnish and Swedish sources alone, and from 75 to 80 percent

of these are intentional.

Oil does damage to flora and fauna through both mechanical and toxic

effects. Oil destroys sea fowl and suffocates plant life, including

the plankton, the most important factor in the eco system of the sea

because other groups of organisms depend on the vegetative food mass

they produce.

About 40,000 tons of oil trickle annually into the Baltic Sea. Large

oil spills have been avoided. The oil comes mainly from small discharges

in spite of the international prohibition against the spilling of oil

into the Baltic Sea.

The Baltic Sea has for long been considered the worst oil polluted sea,

where tens of thousands of birds are killed annually by oil. For instance,

more than 100,000 long-tailed ducks have been killed in the past few decades.

The trend has been more favorable during recent years. For instance,

the previous levels of mass destruction of birds have no longer been

observed in the south Baltic Sea where oil spills were previously common.

54
The decrease in oil spillages has been influenced in particular by the

decrease in oil shipping arising from the price increase, or oil crisis,

the change in popular attitude toward favor of environmental protection,

improved control, and the international agreements.

A system of oil spill damage control, the informational system of which

is already completed, is in process of formation. The areas of oil

damage elimination responsibility have not yet been determined. That

has been slowed by the apportioning of the Baltic Sea into economic

areas. The objective is that each country would be responsible for

the protection of its own area at the same rate that it derives

economic benefit from it.

The state of preparedness for the elimination of oil damage is, despite

all assurances otherwise, still weak in the Baltic countries. The only

country that has any degree of preparedness is Sweden, but even that

country at this stage is unable to effectively move damage control equipment

to areas where needed.

Familiar in every country is the situation following an oil spill,

in which the authority in charge states what was learned from this

experience and that the next time a similar occurrence takes place the

elimination devices and the personnel will be in readiness. But the next

time only a few hundred meters of under sized oil retention booms are

available and a few volunteers with shovels stand at the shoreline.

Collaborative Organ Still Temporary

Ilppo Kangas is the motive force in the temporary Baltic Sea commission,

in which he is for the time being the only official. The Baltic Sea

commission is a coordinating organ that is responsible for all the

activity agreed upon in the Baltic Sea Agreement, the so-called

"Helsinki Agreement."

Kangas complains, "because the agreement has not yet been ratified by

all the parties, it has not been possible to establish a permanent

secretariat for the commission."

"The Eastern democracies have not yet ratified the agreement because

they feel that their readiness for the environmental protection of the

Baltic Sea and for the prevention of environmental accidents is not yet

of the class that requires an agreement."

The Baltic Sea Protection Agreement was undersigned in 1974 by all of

the coastal countries of the Baltic Sea: the Soviet Union, Poland,

the DDR, the Federal Republic of Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland.

55
Deterioration Soon to be Under Control

Kangas states that as of 1979 it will be 5 years since the agreement

was signed and that already partial improvement can be noted in the degree

of deterioration of the Baltic Sea.

Notable in the improvement of the situation is the fact also that this

is the first time that the Baltic Sea coastal countries are jointly

accumulating information about the pollution of the Baltic Sea and are

undertaking the planning and building of facilities essential to the

elimination of pollution and are formulating legislation that conforms

to the requirements of protection and that is an uniform as possible

in respect to each country.

The bans and restrictions on the use of certain toxicants have been in

force for several years and their effect on the deterioration of the

Baltic Sea have been favorable. The concentrations of toxicants have

decreased in the Baltic Sea.

The deterioration is not a chance disturbance, for it has been continuous.

"The proof of that is in the seals and the long-term poison damage

they have suffered, for the seal is at the top of the nutritional chain,"

Kangas notes. And if the seals have suffered poison damage in recent

years it means that the effect of the poisons at the lower end of the

nutritional chain, started long ago.

"The DDT concentrations in the fish are still five to ten times higher

than those of the fish in the North Sea."

An Historic Agreement

The Helsinki agreement is the first to cover all sources of pollution in

that it takes into consideration pollution that comes from the land,

the sea, and the air. All the other protection agreements cover only

parts of areas and are so loosely drawn that loopholes can always be

found in them.

Other sea protection agreements include the Paris agreement that covers

the English Channel and the Bay of Biscay (includes pollution from land

only), the Oslo agreement that includes only the fishing areas of the

northeast Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean agreement, the London

agreement (a general sea protection agreement that covers pollution

from land), and the IMCO sea organization consultative agreement between

governments (for pollution that comes from the sea). Pollution that

comes from the sea generally means oil discharges from vessels and oil

mishaps.

Kangas feels that the existence of such agreements is an indication that

there exists the will and knowledge to seek results in the protection

of the sea.

56
The Baltic Sea Commission recommends that the Baltic Sea countries install

waste oil disposal facilities in their harbors before the Helsinki

agreement goes into effect. Kangas admits, "waste disposal facilities

already exist in all countries, but the worst situation is in Finland."

A surveillance system for the Baltic Sea clean-up is currently in the

planning stage. "It will be observed by means of studies and a

recommendation for the basic principles of the studies already exists.

This year a joint surveillance program based on national programs is in

use for the first time," states Kangas.

"A proper surveillance program for 1979 will be drafted on the basis of

these studies. For instance, the division of labor in the surveillance

will be agreed upon more precisely than it is at present."

Since the deterioration of the sea appears in many instances to have

abated, hopefully, the observers and the scientists will have something

favorable to report in the results of their surveillance.

5955

CSO: 5000

57
ICELAND

LAND RECLAMATION RECEIVING INCREASED INTEREST

Reykjavik MORGUNBLADID in Icelandic 19 Sep 78 pp 28-29

/"Article "by Agust H. Bjarnason_7

/Text_7 Some time ago, Sveinn Runolfsson, the director of land reclamation,

held a press conference and explained the activities of the government's

Land Reclamation Institute.Whether the conference was held because of my

recent discussions with Björn Sigurbjörnsson or whether it was a reguarly

scheduled item, I will leave unsaid, but they were certainly fresh in

people's minds. Many things that came to light at the conference are

worthy of further attention. However, it would take too long to report on

everything, and therefore I will only mention a few things.

Sveinn maintains that the government's Land Reclamation Institute is progressing

in the struggle against erosion because annually more land (5,000 hectares)

is reclaimed than is eroded (2,000 hectares). I doubt his assertion because

of the simple fact that no one knows how extensive the erosion is.

Unfortunately, this is not the main point; the point is that our land still

continues to erode. The cultivation of eroded land, as in Haf north of

Thjorsdalur, is of little avail in the struggle against erosion itself.

If I understand Sveinn Runolfsson correctly, he thinks that it is enough

to reclaim 1 hectare of eroded land for each hectare of natural growing

land with thick soil that is blown into the sea. In fact, I have noted

this kind of thinking before. This summer, I visited a farm in the north

where they were tearing away some beautiful heather land with a bulldozer

up to the road by the edge of the field. I asked the farmer, a prominent

man in his district, whether he didn't resent seeing such beautiful land

so baldly treated, with no apparent need. "No, no, it's alright," said

the farmer, "the road builders sow grass seed on it and spread artificial

fertilizer." I have to admit that I was dumbfounded.

No one should read into my words that I am opposed to the cultivation of

eroded land, if it is done in a sensible way. Björn Sigurbjörnsson

agrees with me that "it is senseless to reclaim eroded land or any kind

of land in Iceland with Festuca rubra from Denmark,"but the director of

land reclamation says that it is working out fine. We must give this some

58
thought. I tried to point out the danger involved in the unnecessary use

of fertilizer and not least of all, how excessively expensive this

cultivation is, among other things, due to the improper utilization of

fertilizer when it is spread by airplane.

From Runolfsson's talk with newsmen, it is apparent that he reacts angrily

to my criticism. This is the sort of issue that it is useless to quarrel

about. The cost of fertilizer application will presumably come to light

in the institute's financial report at the end of the year, and it will

be interesting to see the breakdown. As far as the utilization of

fertilizer is concerned, I relied on my own observations, among other

things, measurements of the width of sections of land. When I investigated

the matter further, it turned out that this has been investigated only to

a small and very insufficient extent. There can be no doubt that this

must be investigated thoroughly. We do not have sufficient knowledge

concerning how much fertilizer it is most economical to apply. The size of

chemical particles varies greatly, and their distribution is unknown, but

it must be taken into account. Very little is known about the

distribution of fertilizers from planes and almost nothing under varying

conditions.

In order to point out more clearly what I am referring to, I will cite

an example. I want to emphasize that I am not relying on any concrete

measurements because none are available. Neither am I taking into account

crosswinds, which blow the smallest particles far away. Now, if we assume

that research has shown that plant life responds best to a 25 g/sq meter

dose of fertilizer (the figure is a close approximation), and if we also

assume that 95 percent of the fertilizer from the plane comes down on a

25-meter wide area (not far from the norm), most of the fertilizer falls

under the middle of the plane and then spreads evenly out to the sides,

as shown in the graph below (estimate).

The dark areas show where a sufficient amount falls (i.e. 20-30 g/sq meter).

The area in between gets too much, which can, however, increase the

growth a bit but can also be dangerous because it disturbs the balance

of the species, aside from being merely wasteful. At the margins the

amount of fertilizer is so small that it does not increase growth to any

appreciable extent. The green strip that develops during the growing

season is about 16-17 meters wide. In spite of very uneven distribution,

the average amount is 25 g/sq meter.

In accordance with the above example, there is a 35 percent fertilizer

waste, besides which the excess amount can weaken plant life because the

growth of the grass is excessive (see below).

I hope that people do not regard this article as hostile to the Government

Land Reclamation Institute. I am just pointing out that this task is too

risky without prior research. The law does not stipulate that the Land

59
Reclamation Institute should take charge of scientific research, and this

must be changed. Rather, it is the task of the Agricultural Research

Institute (directed by Björn Sigurbjörnsson). Our readers are presumably

aware of the controversies that have just arisen regarding the institute's

research on grazing land tolerance. It will no doubt be interesting to

follow them up, but I will not venture into these controversies at this

point.

In these discussions I have mainly opposed the application of artificial

fertilizer on land with plant growth, which disturbs the natural balance.

The Land Reclamation Institute applies about 10 percent of the fertilizer

on land with plant growth, either on sheep grazing land far away from or

close to farms. Ve must take into account that the 1974 Land Reclamation

Program emphasizes the increased application of fertilizer, especially

on grazing land close to farms (called "pasture land enhancement"), the

purpose being to "improve and increase the harvest."

In my previous articles I cited many examples that show how dangerous

this jpolicy is. I do not think that it is necessary to mention them

again. Instead, I will offer the conclusions that I drew from the plant

life observations that I made in Kelduhverfi last summer, so that everyone

can see what it is that sheep owners call pasture land enhancement.

The plant analyses involved a horizontal coverage determination using

a method named after three botanists, Hult-Sernander-Du Rietz. In

accordance with this method of measurement, each species within each

area under observation is given a mark from one to five, depending on

the horizontal coverage of the leaves and shoots.

The measurements were taken on the following: a) heather that has not

been treated and where sheep have always grazed; b) grass-covered areas

where the heather was killed in 1974 with a hormone drug and which have

since been fertilized from the air.

This was thoroughly explained in TIMM (8 September 1974). There it says

that the grass harvest increases about 60-fold, or from 0.6 horseloads

per hectare to 34.3 horseloads per hectare. The purpose of spraying

the chemicals and applying the fertilizer is to increase grazing tolerance

and the grazing value of the land. I do not know exactly how sheep are

doing on this artificially-grown grass, except that the lambs weigh less

than before, and the sheep were let out of the area once because they

were so frail by late summer.

The area involved was a mound-covered tract or hill where the plant

growth is dry. Close to it is a rather tall birch tree forest, and the

land was definitely covered with forests before. The mound-covered

area is very uneven, with large undulations. The measurements were taken

60
only on the undulations, not in the furrows between them. Conditions

for growth are somewhat different there, but the difference between the two

areas is almost the same as on top of the undulations. There is verylittle growth in the furrows because the undulations are very large and

flat-topped. Both areas are covered with vegetation.

The table below shows our conclusions. Pour samples were taken in each

area, A in the heather and B in the sprayed and fertilized section of land.

As they are no Icelandic names for mosses and lichens, the Latin names

were used.

As we can see in Column A, many small shrubs predominate in the heather

land, the most plentiful ones being Empetrum nigrma, Vaccinium uliginosum

and Betula nana. Growing along with them are several typical

species such as Vaccinium myrtillus, Salix phylicifolia, Carex bigelowi

and Festuca rubra, which together are highly characteristic of the land.

Other common species that we can mention are Calluna vulgaris, Thymus

arcticus, Deschampsia flexuosa, Juniperus communis, Galium verum, Polygonum

viviparum, Hierarcium and Luzula nmltiflora. Mosses and lichens are not,

in fact, very abundant here and in many ways they remind one of the soil

where birch shrubs grow and lava is found. In these four sample spots we

found 28, 27, 26 and 25 species. The measurements reflect only a small

sample of the lush growth found here. If there had been more, the variety

would have been much greater.

Column B shows the same number of measurements on the area sprayed since

1974» where the same species as in Column A previously grew. Now there

is only one species, Festuca rubra, that is abundant, as well as a few

other species that respond to fertilizer. They are not widespread in the

country and do not cover much of an area. Among these I can cite Galium

verum, Galium pumilum, Deschampsia flexuosa and Cerastium alpinum. On the

surface one can still see varities of heather such as Vaccinium uliginosum,

Calluna vulgaris and Empetrum nigrum, but they are nearer dead than alive,

the goal being to get rid of them. There are remnants of the mosses and

lichens that existed before. The species taken at the observation

points numbered 14, 13, 8 and 10, or about half as many as in the heather.

The main thing is perhaps not the number of species but rather that where

there were previously several species (under the shelter of which many

others thrived), only one species is abundant now, along with a few

struggling varities, and many have disappeared completely, at least for

the time being, such as Betula nana, Vaccinium myrtillus, Geranium

silvaticum, Poa glauca and Salix phylicifolia. Hopefully, most of them

will come back when the land is not fertilied or used for grazing anymore.

It should be quite clear to everyone that this artificially grown land

is in no way as resistant to external environmental factors as the heather.

Likewise, simple common sense indicates that these few species in the grasscovered land do not utilize all potential growing time during the summer

in the same way as the many varieties of heather, not even in an average

year and least of all if there are any major swings in the weather. Thus,

I have said previously that they are shortening the growing time.

61
Björn Sigurbjörnsson said in his recent article that "Agust Bjarnason

was talking nonsense when he said that the hardiness of growing land

decreases when more grass is grown at the expense of other varieties.

I would think that Sigurbjörnsson is a prudent man and I therefore regard

it as strange that he has not noticed that erosion is greatest where

grass varieties are abundant, because their roots are rather shallow.

I will very amiably point out to Sigurbjorasson an article by Sigfus

Olafsson in the 1969 anuual issue of METR which deals with the growth

of vegetation. It states: "After the planting of the field the surface

is fertilized, and the chemical nutrients collect in the uppermost layer

of the soil. In this way, the roots do not have to go far to seek

nutrients, except water, under the soil. The roots of field grass are

always rather shallow, and we can expect that at the next planting the

roots will be unusually shallow because of the surface cultivation."

Isn't it possible that the same applies to fertilized grass in sheep

grazing land away from and near to farms? If this is the case, is it

so strange to conclude that the application of fertilizer on growing land

can lead to a greater danger of erosion, and isn't it worse to go out

and do something rather than sit still? Ve can add that too

great an application of nitrogen causes impeded plant seed development.

It is time for me to conclude because I have taken longer than I intended.

It is clear that much remains to be said regarding these matters, and it is

not my intention to write about this issue during the winter. I have many

other interesting tasks to take care of. I hope that I have opened

some people's eyes to the fact that the issues of land reclamation are

major ones for the country and too big to be resolved by merely scattering

fertilizer and Danish Festuca rubra from airplanes. People have to

come down to earth and work there and acknowledge that there is

overgrazing. A very observant man recently told me that all Icelanders

would recognize the over-farming going on in the country if it

were the British who were here practicing sheep farming and exploiting

the soil in the same way that they plundered the fishing areas around

the country.

(1) , B R H Ü D A* B U R D A R D R F T F A R

Key:

1. Width of the fertiliser application

62
'gfimHr.mmmiuM.

[

,i c)(5iirm»l i r Pur f k.-Mulivt-rf 1 . A) l.ynp.itnl (Iwlrmr) (1)

II) R*ki ..6 p.r.irIi-n.ll (t>."Ur) v

AOalblatwrJalynp

Bfittlynp,

Bi.ibTJjlyn.^H )

Bläpn?ii . . . (j)

Bläsv.?il,-,rd-(0 )

BlöBtorp, ,„(/)

Brjnsrar.raf (Ö J

Bup.Bupuntur V.

finir (1U)

FjalMrapL .

fii,1m;>Br.i(lZ) .

nulviBir l-l-J^

ll.-ilfrrrpsi (14 J. c

HvftruiBra V l->

Ilnrovr (16) ,,-,%

KlcVl'.t inp^.-U/^

korn- 'ir.i \l"i1riv

krarkilvnp. (l^Xrt\

,„ka-:n»-!.ronir (20)

lnrr.--i (21)

9)

(ID

i)

I >_-tomFB

..i till

..i-—yrci

hini'.l i'lr'

li'in^'ir.i

Tünvinp.u 1 1

Vnll-Urir (3

V.-il 1:nm.-.l 1

Vail»«.',-! (33

Pur nkfi1

1 (28)

(29

-

)

(30)

3

32)

;

(34)

iw |fiyrffura'a?-

g

^

vlfMi ptirpurfii1-

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I In

iiiT inm »IF

,| i-nnrphn*!

ron.i' vplo,K|P

ehr.'' -l

I':*!i- i -» I

-

"'»' -ill'

['olv-ricinim alpiii'im

Pli.u-ojnitrW.im lanu(*,inop

lof-tic/.lrt flnrrkM

I op "7 i-i lint rh^ri

Pr 11 i'lium ci 1 iarc

BcK'c-ryces rufus

Otr.irin VslanrUca

CUTi'jnia cpp.

pplrip,era canina

PrlMp.era malncoa

(35)

WIIW«»I

M joe, vi s lö

Key:

1. Growth measurements in Kelduhverfi:

2. Vaccinium myrtillus

J. Calluna vulgaris

4. Vaccinium uliginosum

A} Heather (grazed)

B) Cultivated grass area (grazed)

63
5. Geranium silvaticum

6. Poa Glauca

7. Tbymus arcticus

8. Thalictrum alpintail

9. Deschampsia flexuosa

10. Juniperus communis

11. Betula nana

12. Galium verum

13. Salix phylicifolia

14. Agrostis tenuis

15« Galium pumilum

16. Anthoxanthum odoratum

17« Equisetum arvense

18. Polygonum viviparum

19. Empetrum nigrum

20. Bartsia alpina

21. Trisetum spicatum

22. Selaginella selaginoid.es

25. Cerastium alpinum

24. Saudamergur (sic; could not find Latin or English equivalent)

25. Arctostaphylos uva ursi

26. Carex bigelowi

27. Botrychium lunaria

28. Rumex acetosa

29. Festuca rubra

30. Hierarcium

31. Equisetum (no species could be specified; probably like next tvo)

32. Achillea millefolium

33» Luzula multiflora

34. Kobresia

35» Coverage

36. Living

37. Very sparse

8743

CSO: 5000

64
SPAIN

HUELVA'S PETROCHEMICAL INDUSTRY CREATES HEALTH PROBLEMS

Madrid OPINION in Spanish 28 Jul-3 Aug 78 pp 42, 43

/Article by David Fernandez Cabeza« "Huelva is Being Asphyxiated"7

/fext7 Huelva is being asphyxiated. "No to pollution." This is

the slogan that the residents of Huelva chanted at a large rally

of citizens seeking "pulmonary Amnesty." The petition is still

up in the air, waiting for someone to remember that there are more

than a thousand children in this corner of the peninsula with

"spathic" bronchitis and a thousand people looking for new homes

because their neighborhood has been declared a "polluted zone."

The large complex of chemical industries dangerously close to

Huelva has already caused the total ecological transformation of

the area. The estuary of Huelva is devoid of fish and has turned

into a sewer, while the eucalyptus trees along Paseo Montenegro

dried up and were cut down in hopes that the situation would pass

unnoticed.

Much Smoke in Exchange For Little

One fine day, Mr Lopez Rodo's enthusiasm for development

laid its eyes on this southern city and ordered what they no

longer wanted in Bilbao. In 1964, overnight, Huelva turned into

one of the largest industrial centers in the country, with 60

operating chemical plants.

Since the important thing was development, the plants were placed

three kilometers from the center of the city, much closer to the

old quarter than some residential neighborhoods. Today a very

high price is being paid for that unplanned "boom" that granted

every kind of facility to the industries.

Recent studies show that the miracle of Huelva's industrialization,

about which the former local authorities boasted so much, is no

such thing at all. It.turns out that, although provincial produc65
tion increased considerably, family income experienced no great

change. The "miracle" was unable to prevent the emigration of

30,000 Huelvans between i960 and 1970, and the number of Jobs

fell by almost 17,000 in that period.

According to the "Economic Report on the Huelva Center of Development," Huelvan industries need highly qualified personnel, who must

come from other provinces. Also, due to the use of technology,

the personnel is reduced, but auxiliary industries that would

offer more jobs have not been built.

The Figures Cheat

Traditionally, authorities have tried to calm the people of

Huelva by denying what could readily be seen. In the local press,

writing about pollution was a forbidden topic. Now it is

impossible to deny the obvious. However, the daily figures

published by the pollution control monitors continue to show data

that the man in the street does not believe. The truth is that

these monitors measure only sulfur, which is principally produced

by vehicular traffic, but there are other polluting factors that

they do not measure, nor do they measure solid wastes.

The validity of these data leaves much to be desired because an

overall figure is given by days and not hour by hour, which would

be more exact. So when the daily average is figured, it is not

known whether there were alarming indices during certain hours of

the day.

According to data from the college of architects, Huelva1s industries emit a hundred times more solid waste than the industries in

Spanish cities its size. On the other hand, between February 1975

and February 1977, the city suffered 29 days of heavy pollution;

20 of those were technically termed "impermissible situations,"

8 of them "emergencies" and 1 a "total emergency."

Children Victims

Smoke from the chemical industry envelops the city on many days.

Occasionally, without forecasts of bad weather, Huelva awakes in

the midst of a fog that is reminiscent of London. The number of

people who suffer from asthma caused by pollution is hard to

calculate. But many parents of children with bronchitis have

organized and are doing battle.

Over a thousand Huelvan children appear to be affected by a

genuine bronchitis called "spathic," caused principally by environmental pollution. It has been proved that on days when the pollution is greatest, these children's health deteriorates even

66
further. The only recourse to cure the bronchitis is to move

them to the mountains, but that is a solution that is too costlv

for many families. J

A Neighborhood Condemned to Eviction

After a study made on housing blocks of the Public Works Employers'

Association—presently home to over a thousand persons—the grave

danger that the residents are risking due to the proximity of

the factories was detected. The extreme gravity of the matter

has induced the civil government to take urgent steps. The neighborhood's 220 families will be evacuated to other houses that are

being built in a less unhealthy place.

While Bilbao's companies have spent 800 million pesetas ince

1975 on mechanisms to correct pollution, Huelva's plants do not

seem to be doing the same. Only the Provincial Association of

Employers made an extensive public announcement in which it

claimed "the companies are making the greatest efforts to improve

operating conditions as much as possible in their oldest plants."

These claims were strongly criticized by the Federation of

Neighbors Associations, accusing them of being ambiguous and

unrealistic and demanding that a special anti-pollution law be

approved for Huelva because it is felt that its case is not

equivalent to that of other industrial zones of the country.

Awaiting Solutions

Huelva's municipal government has asked that the city be declared

a "polluted zone" while the new Urbanlsm Plan envisions the

removal of the industries from their present locations.

After the recent visit of the director general of the Environment

to Huelva, the creation of a Subcommittee of Environment for

Huelva was promised to investigate and put an end to the emission

of industrial wastes.

8631

CSO: 5000 END

67