91997E3921

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3921/97 by Paul Lannoye (V) to the Commission (11 December 1997)

Subject: Contamination by Mancozeb

In October 1995 a store of 475 tonnes of Mancozeb (fungicide) caught fire in the garden of the EDF compound in Kigali.

Eleven months later (in September 1996) a team of experts under the auspices of the FAO examined the problem on site and recommended a certain number of urgent measures and solutions to neutralize this store and the contaminated land.

According to our information there has been no movement in the situation over the past months despite the urgency (Mancozeb, stored in poor conditions rapidly converts into ETU (ethylenethiourea) which is known to be carcinogenic). Tests carried out in France showed that the 85% of the Mancozeb had converted into ETU. An unspecified amount of ground around this store has already been contaminated by ETU, and also, very probably, sources of drinking water.

We understand that a sum of ECU 500 000 has been set aside in the budget to rehabilitate the site.

Can the Commission indicate what action it has taken over the past two years to deal with the problem?

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro on behalf of the Commission (14 January 1998)

The Commission shares the Honourable Member's concern about the risk to public health posed by the fire involving a consignment of Mancozeb for a food security project stored in an industrial area of Kigali, if the site is not quickly cleaned up.

When it learnt of the accident in September 1995 the Commission immediately ordered a report. Its conclusions were accepted by the Rwandan authorities and the Commission on 3 October 1995.

A further study was carried out with the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) on the Commission's initiative following disagreement between the ministries concerned about how to clean up the site. The conclusions and recommendations were accepted by all sides and the clean-up operation began in July 1997 after the work had been put out to tender.

The Commission is closely monitoring the situation and will do its utmost with the Rwandan authorities' approval to use all available capacity on the ground to swiftly dispose of the waste.