You're reading: Waste pesticides to be removed from Kharkiv region by time of Euro 2012

All waste pesticides will be removed from Kharkiv region by the beginning of the Euro 2012 European Football Championship, First Deputy Head of Kharkiv Regional State Administration Valentyn Dulub has said.

"We did not manage to clear the region from waste pesticides completely in 2011 due to inaccuracies in the inventory in a number of districts. In a number of districts the amounts of pesticides that needed to be disposed of were understated. Due to the inaccuracies in the inventory, we didn’t get enough funds to transport all of these pesticides for disposal in Poland. But, as of today we have an agreement under which funds will be allocated from the regional and state ecology funds for the removal of 55 tons of waste pesticides in 2012. They are already packed and ready for transportation. In spring we will remove them, and by the time Euro 2012 [is held], Kharkiv region will be completely clear of waste pesticides," he said during a press conference on Thursday.

The official added that a total of 715 tons of waste pesticides were removed from Kharkiv region, including 232.8 tons at the expense of the regional budget and 482.2 tons at the expense of funds allocated by the Ecology and Natural Resources Ministry. According to Dulub, out of 18 districts of Kharkiv region, eleven were completely cleared of waste pesticides.

In late 2009 there were more than 21,000 tons of waste pesticides on the territory of Ukraine.

There are over 3,000 storage facilities in the country. Such pesticides are being actively disposed of in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Vinnytsia, Kirovohrad, Volyn, Ternopil, and other regions.