Identification and Remediation of Contaminated Sites with Persistent Organic Pollutants Project Launch Meeting

The launch meeting of “Identification and Remediation of Contaminated Sites with Persistent Organic Pollutants Project”, funded by the European Union (EU) and directed by the Priority Chemicals Management Unit of Chemicals Management Department and the Soil Pollution Control Unit of the Water and Soil Management Department of the General Directorate of Environmental Management under the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme, took place on 14 January 2020 in Point Hotel, Ankara with 160 participants.

During the project launch meeting, UNDP Turkey Assistant Resident Representative for Programmes Seher Alacacı Arıner, Ministry of Environment and Urbanization General Director of EU and Foreign Relations Mehrali Ecer, the EU-Turkey Delegation Economic and Social Development Department Head Deputy Tibor Sztaricskai, and Ministry of Environment and Urbanization Deputy General Director of Environmental Management Sebahattin Dökmeci gave successive opening speeches.

Following the opening speeches, Head of Priority Chemicals Management Unit from the Chemicals Management Department of the Directorate General of Environmental Management Bursev Doğan Artukoğlu gave a presentation on the activities and projects of the Ministry within the framework of chemicals-related international conventions and international and national regulations. Following her presentation, UNDP Turkey Chemicals and Waste Sector Projects Coordinator Mahmut Osmanbaşoğlu gave further information on UNDP’s projects in the chemicals sector and on the Contaminated Sites Project details.

During the afternoon session of the meeting, Head of Soil Pollution Control Unit from Water and Soil Management Department Gülhan Saygılı gave a presentation on the Soil Pollution Control and Contaminated Sites Regulation and on the Contaminated Sites Information System. After the presentation, the session moved onto participant questions and answers, and the meeting was closed.