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FM AMEMBASSY ASTANA
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ASTANA 002233 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, OES/PCI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV ECON SENV KDEM OSCE UN KZ
SUBJECT:  KAZAKHSTAN SETS UP AN ELECTRONIC DATABASE OF POLLUTION 
EMISSIONS IN ACCORDANCE WITH AARHUS CONVENTION 
 
REF:  ASTANA 1776 
 
ASTANA 00002233  001.3 OF 003 
 
 
¶1.  (U) Sensitive but unclassified.  Not for public Internet. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  The Ministry of Environment recently hosted a 
round table on setting up an electronic register of emissions and 
pollution transmissions (PRTRs) with the participation of several 
environmental NGOs and the Organization for Security and Cooperation 
in Europe (OSCE).  Under the Aarhus Convention, which grants the 
public rights to access environmental information, each party must 
set up a pollution register.  Industry is also required to report 
its emissions.  A Kazakhstani NGO published a booklet on PRTRs that 
can help inform the public of their rights.  Current Kazakhstani law 
only permits the registration of 86 substances as pollutants.  AES 
Thermal Plant in Ust-Kamenogorsk also supported establishment of a 
register because it believes open access to information leads to a 
better partnership among business, government, and society. 
Unfortunately, the government has inventoried only 20% of all 
chemical storage sites in the country, and they are aging, 
deteriorating, and polluting the surrounding land and ground-water 
supply.  END SUMMARY. 
 
KAZAKHSTAN ESTABLISHES A POLLUTION EMISSIONS REGISTER 
 
¶3.  (U) The Ministry of Environment recently hosted a round table, 
"Strengthening Social Participation in the Aarhus Process, Setting 
Up an Electronic Register of Emissions and Pollution Transmissions," 
with the participation of several environmental NGOs and the 
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). 
Ministry of Environment Legal Affairs Director Diana Mukanova opened 
the round table, saying Kazakhstan must establish an electronic 
pollution "register" in order to meet its obligations under the 
Aarhus Convention, to which it is a signatory.  (NOTE: The United 
Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Convention on Access 
to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access 
to Justice in Environmental Matters -- usually known as the Aarhus 
Convention -- grants the public rights to access to information on 
matters concerning the local, national, and trans-boundary 
environment.  The Kiev Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer 
Registers (PRTRs) obligates parties to set up pollution inventories 
from industrial sites and other sources, such as agriculture and 
transport.  The Protocol also requires private enterprises to report 
annually on their releases and transfers of pollutants, with 
"transfer" meaning "outside the industrial facility," including by 
wind or water.  END NOTE.) 
 
AARHUS CENTER WILL HOUSE THE REGISTER 
 
¶4.  (U) According to Aarhus Center Director Zhulgyz Murzabekeva, the 
Aarhus Center, whose primary function is to gather and distribute 
environmental information, will manage the emissions register.  Open 
in Atyrau since September 21, the Center now has more than 800 
"normative" documents and considerable ecological information in its 
online database.  Murzabekeva said the Aarhus Convention strives to 
support the right to access to information on the environment and 
any potential harm that may arise from pollution.  She asserted the 
Center works closely with all government bodies. 
 
REGISTER WILL ENHANCE PUBLIC ACCESS TO INFORMATION 
 
¶5.  (SBU) European Commission Environmental Bureau Coordinator and 
Eco-Forum NGO Representative Mara Silina commented on the importance 
of providing information not only to the government but to all the 
people and NGOs.  She said the register aims to "enhance public 
access to information," as well as encourage public participation in 
environmental decision-making.  Currently, 86 pollutants can be 
included in the register (determined by Annex II), including 
greenhouse gases, acid rain, ozone-depleting substances, heavy 
metals, pesticides, and various industrial chemicals.  The 
Convention also requires owners and/or operators of polluting 
factories and plants to report their emissions starting in 2010. 
The first meeting of the 21 ratifying parties to the Convention will 
 
ASTANA 00002233  002.3 OF 003 
 
 
take place on  April 20-22, 2010 (location to be determined). 
Silina underlined the major challenge of increasing signatories' 
ratification of the Convention, particularly among the Caucasus and 
Central Asian countries, which would strengthen the level of 
international cooperation. 
 
¶6.  (U) Eco-Forum has produced a 43-page booklet on PRTRs -- "Your 
Right to Information on Sources of Pollution," with some of the 
sections including "Information on Pollution and Ecological 
Democracy," "Life Cycle of Industrial Chemical Substances," "Actual 
PRTR Example: U.S. Toxic Emissions Register," and detailed aspects 
of the PRTR Protocol.  Salina said the Aarhus Center can distribute 
these booklets to the general population in order to help them 
better understand their rights under the Convention and ways to use 
these rights and information to better protect the environment.  She 
said Georgia, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan are currently 
implementing European-funded projects on PRTRs. 
 
CURRENT LAW NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED AND UPDATED 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Ust-Kamenogorsk NGO "Green Women" representative Lidia 
Astanina said that some legislative weaknesses remain in the 
organization of a data register.  She additionally highlighted 
needed improvements and updates to the legal code in order to 
broaden and clarify the term "pollution" and potential enforcement 
responses.  Currently, the law only lists 86 substances for 
potential registration. 
 
AES THERMAL PLANT ALSO SUPPORTS THE EMISSIONS REGISTER 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Applied Energy Services (AES)-owned and operated 
Ust-Kamenogorsk Thermal Power Plant representative Vadim Litvinov 
underlined his company's efforts to have an open and constructive 
dialogue with all social partners.  He asserted that this approach 
ensures AES a much more positive relationship with the government. 
(NOTE:  Applied Energy Services (AES), a U.S. company, is one of the 
world's leading power companies, employing more than 30,000, and 
generating and distributing electric power in 26 countries.  END 
NOTE.) 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Litvinov cited a recent poll in which a majority surveyed 
agreed on the need for access to information on emissions.  However, 
70% of the population does not trust industry-provided information, 
particularly with respect to their emissions.  He said these results 
imply a larger problem for industry with respect to public relations 
and social trust. 
 
¶10.  (SBU) According to Litvinov, AES prepares and submits a 
quarterly emissions report to the state tax bureau because of the 
tax on emissions.  He claimed the establishment of a PRTR register 
fully aligns with AES's environmental policy, because such open 
access to information corresponds to the promotion of a better 
partnership with the government and society. 
 
ONLY 20% OF STORAGE SITES INVENTORIED 
 
¶11.  (SBU) Center for Chemical Safety "Ecomir" (Ecoworld) 
representative Amina Beibitova said Kazakhstan has inventoried only 
20% of all the chemical storage sites in the country.  These 
locations are aging, deteriorating, and polluting the surrounding 
land and ground-water supply.  In addition, numerous landfills with 
transformers, condensers, various electrical appliances, paints, and 
plastics exist.  Local residents can help overcome the difficulties 
of monitoring these sites by reporting on them to the Aarhus Center. 
 She asserted laboratories can acquire specialized equipment, such 
as chromatic spectrometers and "Clor-N-Soil" (brand name) 
potentiometers, which can test the soil for chloride content.  Such 
surveillance can improve the work necessary to prevent dump sites 
from becoming a source of dangerous pollution. 
 
¶12.  (SBU) COMMENT:  The Aarhus Convention combines environmental 
protection with individual rights.  As such, it clearly intersects 
 
ASTANA 00002233  003.3 OF 003 
 
 
environmental security and grass-roots democracy and activism. 
While the local level may face difficulties in securing access to 
information on pollution, some NGOs (see reftel) have demonstrated 
the commitment of higher courts and the central government to 
guaranteeing access to sensitive pollution information.  This 
seemingly "small" event of setting up emission registers in 
Kazakhstan demonstrates progress toward greater empowerment of 
Kazakhstan's citizenry.  It also shows the Kazakhstani government's 
determination to carry out its commitment to 
environmentally-sustainable development.  Like in numerous other 
areas, the Kazakhstani government is cooperating closely with NGOs, 
which are playing an active role, in order to improve the lives of 
its citizens.  END COMMENT. 
 
HOAGLAND