by Mr. Martin Alegria

Belize is the second smallest country in Central America, with a total population of 222,000 (1996). It is divided into six districts for the purposes of administration. on the north are Corozal and Orange Walk Districts, Belize and Cayo Districts are on the centre, and Stann Creek and Toledo Districts on the south (see attached map). Each District has a municipality whose affairs are run by a Town Board. The major export crops are sugar cane, citrus, bananas and marine products. Belize City was the old capital and is still the major metropolitan city in the country. It is important to note that Belize City is BELOW SEA LEVEL.

In 1988, the Pesticides Control Board (PCB) was established in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, with the responsibility of regulating the importation, manufacture, sale, storage and use of pesticides. Only pesticides duly registered are allowed to be used in Belize. The PCB has phased out the use of organochlorine pesticides in Belizean agriculture. In 1988, the PCB developed a list of pesticides to be prohibited in Belize, this list is revised continuously and distributed to many establishments including the Ministry of Health. In the past, the Ministry of Health was allowed to import DDT into Belize FOR THE SPECIFIC USE in mosquito control for the eradication of malarial.

In 1993, the Government of Belize officially established the Department of the Environment (DOE) with the passage through Parliament of the Environmental Protection Act (EPA). One of the main responsibility of the DOE is overseeing permitting agencies in implementation of their pieces of legislation that address issues of environmental protection. The DOE became a legal member of the Board of PCB in 1993.

In early 1994, the PCB informed the Ministry of Health of the new policy of no longer allowing the importation of DDT into Belize for any purpose. The Ministry of Health was requested to begin identifying an alternative to the use of DDT on the internal walls of homes in the malaria control programme. The Ministry of Health had DDT in stock and did not take steps to identify alternatives.

The previous shipment of DDT, was in powdered form which required mixing with kerosene. The Ministry has explained that, for some reason, they could not budget for kerosene for many years. Therefore, this DDT could no longer be used. This 100% DDT formulation just sat in the warehouses and because of the storage conditions, some of the sacs "caked." Another formulation of DDT (75%), which does not require the use of kerosene in the mix, had to be substituted into Belize in the early 1990's.

In late 1994, in light of an increase in malaria incidence in Belize, and in view that their 75% stock was reducing, the Ministry of Health requested the PCB to re-consider its policy of not allowing importation of DDT. The Ministry un-successfully tried to persuade PCB to permit them to import approximately 7 tons of DDT.

Not being able to secure the approval from the PCB, the Ministry of Health secured the permission of Cabinet to import the requested DDT. They were allowed, under strict control measures, to bring into Belize approximately 7 tons of DDT for malaria control. This Cabinet approval letter was not circulated to either the PCB nor the DOE. The importation of DDT from Mexico was made, and stored at 4 sites (Corozal, Belize City, Cayo and Toledo).

It was a surprise for the DOE when recently (November, 1997), we received an emergency call that some 2 - 3 tons of DDT was in danger of being dispersed into the Belize City Harbour. This DDT was being stored by the Vector Control Unit of the Ministry of Health, in a dilapidated warehouse a few feet from the Haulover Creek which empties into the Belize City Harbour. The emergency arose from the fact that this warehouse was being demolished, the contractor was removing the roofing when he came across some sacs containing a chemical. Some of these sacs were thorn open making the chemical susceptible to the humidity and making it solid (see photos attached).

At an emergency meeting held the following day, the PCB, DOE and Ministry of Health collaborated in securing the sacs from the rainy weather of those days, the repackaging of this chemical into nylon bags, and the relocation of the DDT to another location for temporary storage. This new location is within the compound of the Vector Control Unit, but in a dilapidated wooden building with leaky plumbing, unsecured windows, no security, one door and only some 30 feet from the sea shore; making this current storage site prone to floods. A better storage site is required as soon as possible; and for this reason, the DOE and Ministry of Health are purchasing a secure container in good conditions. The repackaged DDT will then be put into this container and transported to a better storage site.

The PCB and DOE recently conducted an inventory of DDT in Belize requiring final disposal. This analysis revealed that apart from the 3 tons discovered in Belize City, there are approximately 2 more tons in Corozal and Cayo requiring final disposal. There is no incinerator nor hazardous waste landfill facility in Belize. No pesticide is manufactured in Belize, and there in only one formulator in the country.

The Ministry of Health and the DOE conducted site inspections to select a better storage site than that at Belize City. The only suitable site was one found in Belmopan, the capital of Belize. This was selected after considering issues such as distance from nearest homes, potentials of flooding, 24 hours security, and easy access for transportation purposes. However, the selected site is under management of the Ministry of Works, who will be relocating this work site in March - April, 1998. This gives us only 3 - 4 months of safe storage before another site is forcibly chosen.

In mid December, 1997, the DOE contacted the US Environmental Protection Agency for assistance in disposing of these 5 tons of unused DDT. The response was quick, and dialogue began that same week. The DOE explained the situation and requested EPA's assistance in disposing this DDT. We had informed them that incineration at high temperatures was the preferred option, but that there was no such equipment in Belize. Hence we requested their assistance in contacting other agencies in US, Mexico or Guatemala that would be in a position to permit us to incinerate this DDT in an incinerator within their country. US EPA has to date offered their assistance in developing a final disposal plan, they have not committed to assisting us in incinerating this DDT in the US nor in contacting other countries for this purpose.

The DOE has gone ahead and tried contacting counterpart Ministries in Guatemala and Mexico with the request of allowing the final disposal of these 5 tons of DDT in a cement kiln in their country, preferably at a site close to the border to minimize the transport cost. To date we have had no success, while the DDT is still under temporary storage in Belmopan.