NEFCO prioritises mitigation of release of hazardous substances that are addressed by international conventions and agreements. NEFCO is prepared to undertake projects that typically address persistent toxic substances (like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins, PAH (polycyclic hydrocarbons); dust, suspended, or dissolved heavy metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium and their compounds; nutrients (N, P), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), mitigation of acidification (caused by SOx, NOx, HF etc), substances that deplete the ozone layer (ODS), contribute to global warming and cause threat to the environment as a whole.

The sectors range from industry, forestry, agriculture, food and live stock management, fisheries, transportation, energy production and consumption, housing, waste management and resource and energy efficiency. Particular emphasis is paid to small and medium enterprises and large enterprises where appropriate.

Guidance for release and management of hazardous substances, resource and energy efficiency is normally underpinned by application of best available techniques and norms. Norms can be those of the host country, European Union, European International Finance Institutions' European Principles for the Environment (EPE) principles  or Nordic or those provided by international agreements, as appropriate.

Case Study

Obsolete pesticide disposal in Lithuania

Obsolete pesticide waste disposal is still a major environmental problem in Eastern and Central Europe. Apart from being a direct health hazard to both human beings and animals, untreated pesticide waste pollutes soil and groundwater sources. 

Although currently Lithuania has, somehow, a functioning system for disposing obsolete pesticides, there are still some 2000 tonnes of pesticide waste in storage. The storage safety conditions at some of these sites are not up to standard.  Exothermic reactions have caused fires at some of these storage sites and obsolete pesticides in store have been burnt. Soil and groundwater sources within the vicinity have also been polluted.

Some measures have been taken to rectify the situation. Since the beginning of 2008,  a project called: “Hazardous Waste Management in Lithuania: Pesticide Management, Management of Contaminated Areas and Soils, Warehouse Cleaning” has been under way. The project’s main purpose is to remove pesticide waste and contaminated soil from storage sites destroyed by fire and also clean up pesticide warehouses.

DGE Baltic Soil, a Lithuanian environmental investigative company in which NEFCO holds a third of the share capital, has carried out soil and groundwater contamination investigations at pesticide waste storage sites as well as at sites destroyed by fire. Since the beginning of the project, DGE Baltic Soil has performed contamination tests at 12 fire sites and 30 old storehouses.

During field investigations, stage observation wells were drilled and soil as well as groundwater samples were collected. Pesticide concentrations were estimated and the quantity of polluted soil calculated. By the end of the project, pesticide waste will be disposed safely by, among other things, removing polluted soil and cleaning old storehouses.  The hope is that these environmental measures, will significantly reduce pesticide-induced water and soil pollution in Lithuania.