Assessment of environmental hot spots in Iraq/ United Nations Environment Programme

2. The environmental site assessment project 22
2.1 Objectives and scope ................ ............................ 22
2.2 National partners ................................................ 22
2.3 Project management .............................................. 23
2.4 Security ................................. ..................... 24
3. Country context 26
3.1 Introduction ................................................ 26
3.2 Geography, demographics and land use .... . . .................... 26
3.3 Water resources .............................................. . 28
3.4 Environmental and population vulnerability .......................... 29
3.5 Industrial development background ................. ........... .... . 30
3.6 Hazardous waste background ....... .......... .................. 33
3.7 Conflict damage to Iraqi industry ..... , . ., .. ......... ....... .34
3.8 The current state of Iraqi industr"-nd indt&MAYtel'i ... .... , ........ 35
3.9 Future use of industrial sites ...................................... . 37
4. ESA capacity building activities 38
4.1 Introduction ................................ ................ . 38
4.2 Training ................ ...................................... 38
4.3 Equipm ent ................................... . 39
4.4 Information technology and document-based tools .. . 40
4.5 Lessons learned from capacity building ........... .. 41
5. Site identification and screening 42
5.1 Introduction .................................................... 42
5.2 Priority industries and activities ...................................... 43
5.3 Sites selected for priority assessment ................................. 50
6. Site assessment activities 54
6.1 Introduction ................................................... 54
6.2 Desk studies and mapping ........................................ 54
6.3 Fieldwork ..................................................... 55
6.4 Chemical analyses .............................................. 57
6.5 Interpretation .................................................. 58
6.6 Development of recommendations .................................. 61
6.7 Reporting ....................................................... 61
7. Al Qadissiya results and recommendations 62
7.1 Site introduction ............................................... 62
7.2 Chemicals and toxicology ....................................... . 66
7.3 Site assessm ent activities ........................... ............. .. 68
7.4 Hazardous wastes............................................. 68
7.5 Land and water contamination ........................... ...... . 70
7.6 Risk assessment .............................................. 70
7.7 Findings ..................................... .................. 72
7.8 Recommendations ............................................ 72
8. Al Suwaira results and recommendations 74
8.1 Site introduction................................... .... ......... 74
8.2 Site assessment activities ............................. ... ........ .. 77
8.3 Chemicals and toxicology .......................................... 77
8.4 Hazardous wastes................... ........................... 79
8.5 Land and water contamination .................................. 81
8.6 Risk assessment ................................................ 81
8.7 Findings ..................................................... 82
8.8 Recommendations .............................................. 82
9. Khan Dhari results and recommendations 84
9.1 Site introduction ..................................... .......... . 84
9.2 Site assessment activities .......................................... 86
9.3 Chem icals and toxicology .......................................... 86
9.4 Hazardous wastes ................ ............................... 88
9.5 Land and water contamination ...................................... 90
9.6 Risk assessment .................................................. 90
9.7 Findings ........................................................ 92
9.8 Recommendations ................. .............................. 92
10. Al Mishraq results and recommendations 94
10.1 Site introduction................................................. 95
10.2 Mining geology and hydrology ............................ ........ 98
10.3 2003 sulphur fire ............................................... 98
10.4 Site assessment activities ........................................ 104
10.5 Site chemicals and toxicology ...................................... 104
10.6 Hazardous wastes and soil contamination .......................... 105
10.7 Land degradation ............................................ 106
10.8 Surface Water contamination ................................ . 106
10.9 Groundwater contamination ......................... ........... . 107
10.10 Risk assessment .................................... .......... 108
10.11 Findings ...................................................... 110
10.12 Recommendations ............................................. 111
11. Ouireej results and recommendations 112
11.1 Site introduction............................................ .112
11.2 The military scrap industry in Iraq .................................. 114
11.3 Site assessm ent activities .......................................... 116
11.4 Hazardous wastes................ ............................. 117
11.5 Unexploded ordnance ................................ ......... .. 117
11.6 Land and water contamination ................................... 118
11.7 Risk assessment .................................. .. .......... 119
11.8 Findings ..................................... ................. 120
11.9 Recommendations ............................................ 120
12. General findings and recommendations 122
12.1 Site introduction ................................................ 122
12.2 Priority site identification ................................. ..... . 123
12.3 Priority site corrective action. ...................................... 124
12.4 Capacity building ............................... ..... ........... 125
12.5 H azardous waste facilities ....................................... . 126
12.6 Military industrial sites .......................................... 128
12.7 Oil industry sites .............................................. 129
12.8 Mining sites ................ ................................. 130
12.9 Munitions disposal sites ......................................... 131
12.10 Military scrap yards ............................................ 131
12.11 National strategy, policy and legislation ............................. 132