FAO warns of environmental crisis

In the port of Djibouti, 10 shipping containers are leaking a toxic pesticide which is causing serious human health and environmental problems, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) warned.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, it said the present location of the containers was already severely contaminated, with the worst-affected site within 400 metres of a food aid store.

The FAO called for immediate emergency intervention to avoid further contamination of the port and its workers. "The authorities in Djibouti should not be left alone with this problem," said FAO expert Kevin Helps, who was asked by the Djibouti ministry of agriculture to visit the site and make recommendations.

The pesticide - chromated copper arsenate - is primarily used as a wood preservative for power and telegraph poles, Helps said. The chemical is carcinogenic and dangerous to the environment. The FAO said over 200 tonnes of the chemical were shipped recently from the UK to be delivered to the Ethiopian Power Corporation. The chemicals were packaged in plastic containers.

"All previous shipments of this chemical have used steel drums for the product and no leakage occurred," Helps pointed out. "It appears that the plastic containers have suffered a catastrophic failure resulting in leakage from the container."

He said that as yet there was no danger to the entire port, but the current storage site was a cause for concern. And until recently, the port authorities had not received information about the toxicity of the cargo and safety data. "There is no doubt that the incorrect handling of the chemical has exposed many workers to unacceptable levels of this toxic material," Helps said.

Port authorities have taken first steps to safeguard the contaminated areas, and the potential for the spread of contamination by dust or wind has been reduced. Helps said the pesticides could not be transported to Ethiopia without being repackaged. "This work must be completed before the chemical is spread by rains," he warned.

The FAO recommended that the state of Djibouti pursue a "polluter pays" approach. "The final liability for the cargo needs urgent clarification," Helps said. "The party responsible for the leakage and contamination needs to be identified and held responsible."