35000 cubic meters of toxic trashes of 'Zamingaysi' were seen in 'Shadegan’ Wetland

In 25th of November 2004 the Earth Watchers Center (EWC) reported the purge of Zamingaysi  of  Abadan  and the spread of toxic materials in the city. Afterwards, for getting more information, from 23 to 26th of December 2004  , EWC went to Abadan  to visit Zamingaysi  and to see the processes of purge and the current location of  expulsion of the trashes and they visited some administrators of the city such as the mayor of Abadan , the head of environment organization,  and experts of sanitation of the oil company, contractors and supervisors of boulevard project,…. This meeting illuminated new aspects of the problem the summery of whom is coming here:

December 2004

In the meeting with Dr. Bahreini, the mayor of Abadan , the representative of EWC discusses about imperfect purge and the likely population of schools around the Gaysi . In addition, they criticized for not choosing a suitable place and expulsion the toxic trashes in Shadegan. With acceptance the critiques and the implicit confirmation of the previous report of EWC, the mayor of Abadan  had a letter written to administrators of Abadan  and with implication to the enforcement and complementary of the excavation and purge project, ordered the administrators of refinery to continue the process. In the mentioned letter it is written that in case of defiance, they are responsible and should accept the consequences.

December 2004

The important points in this meeting:

The entire determined budget (500000 $) was mostly for the construction of boulevard (with dimensions of 550 and 65 meters) out of which is 3500 million Rials (about 400000$) for the expense of purge of the earth from oily trashes.  

The toxic trashes expelled from the boulevard were 35000 cubic meters which are garnered compactly with Lime and cobblestone in a place called 'trash hole' (the western part of Shadegan wetland, 25th km of the Abadan -Mahshar road). Unfortunately the analysis of these materials that ought to be the first step before any action hasn't been done yet by any responsible such as the mayor, the refinery and the environment organization and still there is no program for recognition the compounds of these materials!

The expulsion of toxic materials is just limited to boulevard region, and the north and south of the boulevard, the Zamingaysi  area, where there are several schools, hasn't been purged and is likely to be populated of these materials. Just by geotechnical experiments can be determined the kind and extent of the toxic materials buried in this area and the dangerous effects of the spread gases on the students of these schools.

Quoting from the experts of refinery, these materials are mostly acidic including sulfur, sulfur compounds and heavy metals like vanadium (which can be deposited). In the alkalization unit, these materials convert to petrol and leave acid. The left acid also includes aromatic materials which cause cancer. Before the Islamic Revolution (1979) these materials used to be burnt or buried in a place where always used to stank.

December 2004

December 2004

December 2004

December 2004

Suggestion:

According to the fact that the purge process was just limited to the area of construction of boulevard, it is necessary to perform an extensive geotechnical process up to the Zamingaysi  areas where citizens of Abadan  know well and also in the schools constructed in these areas.

The chemical compounds and also the short and long term effects of these materials on the human being and the environment should be determined and necessary actions should be done as soon as possible.

According to the fact that the Shadegan wetland is one of the most important international wetlands of Iran, 35000 cubic meters of toxic trashes of Gaysi  should be expeled and the necessary actions for neutralization should be done as soon as possible.

According to the important responsibility of the environment organization, it should seriously supervise all the actions of recognition, purge and annihilation of toxic trashes of Zamingaysi .

Footnote:

Shadegan wetland with the area of 400000 hectare is placed 40 km from Ahvaz. This wetland faces Ahvaz, Khordorgh and Shadegan from north, faces Ahvaz-Abadan  asphalted road from west, faces Bahmanshir River and Persian Gulf from south and faces khormoosa from east. One of the dangers that threat this international wetland is the crossing of the Abadan -Sarband or Abadan -Mahshar road from it. It should be mentioned that in the visitation of this region, all the trashes of Abadan  were completely visible in both sides of this road from 8 kilometers to Abadan . The garner of these toxic trashes has raised this population much more. Not accomplishing necessary actions, the wetland will face more environmental danger. Unfortunately, the environment organization has done nothing significantly and the extent and quality of the wetland decrease everyday. In addition to environmental values of this wetland (including botanical and animal), it has other important functions like the harness of floods above the wetland, decrease of destructive effects of flood and prevention from erosion of coasts from Khormoosa to Abadan .

e) Shadegan Marshes and mudflats of Khor-al Amaya & Khor Musa Ramsar site

Introduction

68. Shadegan Marshes were included on the Montreux Record on 16 June 1993 because of the effects of chemical pollution which resulted from the Iran-Iraq war. Neither the 1992 mission nor the present mission was able to visit this site. However, the present mission was informed that plans are under consideration to drain a large area of the Shadegan Ramsar site with a view to agricultural development. The mission was concerned at this information, since such activities could hardly fail to affect the ecological character of the Ramsar site. The saline nature of the soils would be likely to render agriculture an activity of marginal economic benefit. Once again, an integrated management plan, incorporating all possible land users, would seem to be needed.

Recommendation 24: The Department of Environment is encouraged to provide the Ramsar Bureau with further information on the proposed drainage of a large area of the Shadegan Ramsar site for agricultural development, and to develop an integrated management plan for the whole site.

Emirrant birds:

   Pelecanus crispus

 Marmaronetta angustirostris

 Aythya nyroca

 Haliaeetus albicilla

Aquila clanga

 Sterna albifrons

 Sterna hirundo

  Pelecanus crispus

And

...

Some flowers in this area:

-       Nymphoides sp

-        Echinochloa sp

-        Tamerix sp

Shadegan Marshes & mudflats of Khor-al Amaya and Khor-al Musa Ramsar site

The Department of Environment is encouraged to provide the Ramsar Bureau with further information on the proposed drainage of a large area of the Shadegan Ramsar site for agricultural development, and to develop an integrated management plan for the whole site (Rec. 24).

The Montreux Record and Management Guidance Procedure

5. When Contracting Parties designate wetlands for the Ramsar List, they accept an undertaking to maintain the ecological character of sites so listed, and to inform the Bureau if the ecological character of any listed site has changed, is changing or is likely to change. If the ecological character of the site, or of part of it, is irreparably damaged, the Contracting Party may decide to delete all or part of the site from the Ramsar List; if this decision is taken (and no sites have ever been deleted completely because of change in ecological character, while the number of partial excisions is extremely low) then the Contracting Party, (according to Article 4.2 of the Convention) shall compensate for any loss of wetland resources by creating additional reserves for the protection, either in the same area or elsewhere, of an adequate portion of the original habitat. Meetings of the Contracting Parties have always devoted considerable attention to actual or potential change in ecological character, and have devised a number of mechanisms to help Contracting Parties to fulfil their obligations in this field. The most important of these are the Montreux Record and Management Guidance Procedure.

6. The Montreux Record, so called because it was adopted at the 4th meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties in Montreux (Switzerland) in 1990, identifies Ramsar sites that are in need of priority conservation attention at national or international level, and is maintained as part of the Ramsar database. Of the 889 Ramsar sites, 62 are currently included in the Montreux Record, with the approval of each Contracting Party concerned. Resolution VI.1 of the Brisbane Conference approved new guidelines for the operation of the Montreux Record, and questionnaires to be used for assessing possible inclusion or removal of a listed site from the Montreux Record.

7. The Management Guidance Procedure (formerly known as the Monitoring Procedure) is operated by the Bureau at the invitation of the Contracting Party concerned, and takes the form of a visit to one or more Ramsar sites (particularly sites on the Montreux Record) by an expert group under the leadership of a Bureau staff member. Its aim is to suggest steps which will remove the threat of change to ecological character or will help to restore the original character where it has changed, thus enabling the site to be removed from the Record.

Iranian Ramsar sites included on the Montreux Record

16. The following seven Iranian Ramsar sites are currently included on the Montreux Record, with the approval of the Iranian authorities, in order to indicate that they are priority sites for urgent action:

·         Alagol, Ulmagol and Ajigol Lakes (included on 31.12.93 because of impact of agricultural developments);

·         Anzali Mordab (Talab) complex (included on 31.12.93 because of falling water levels and increased eutrophication, leading to the rapid spread of the reed Phragmites australis);

·         Hamun-e-Puzak, south end (included on 4.07.90 because of the possibility that water inflow could be reduced by construction of a dam in Afghanistan);

·         Hamun-e-Saberi & Hamun-e-Helmand (included on 4.07.90 because of the possibility that water inflow could be reduced by construction of a dam in Afghanistan);

·         Neyriz Lakes & Kamjan Marshes (included on 4.07.90 because of drought and agricultural activities);

·         Shadegan Marshes & mudflats of Khor-al Amaya & Khor Musa (included on 16.06.93 because of the effects of chemical pollution which resulted from the Iran-Iraq war);

·         Shurgol, Yadegarlu & Dorgeh Sangi Lakes (included on 4.07.90 because of the effect of war and drought at Yadegarlu).

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