Awareness raising Programs and distribution of posters, brochures, leaflets.c Has helped to sensitize the community and relevant stakeholders about the generation of POPs through indiscriminate human activities and to get their active support for the protective measures initiated

Awareness raising Programs and distribution of posters, brochures, leaflets.c has helped to sensitize the community and relevant stakeholders about the generation of POPs through indiscriminate human activities and to get their active support for the protective measures initiated . PPV?s plan to translate and adapt the POP training manual to suit the Sri Lankan context will help to make it user friendly and effective. Also engaging the school children in open discussions during awareness raising programs and mobilizing them into initiating activities to school sensitizing them about the harm caused by POPs will ensure the support and commitment of the younger generation. Furthermore PPV plans to circulate the findings of the health survey among welders . PPV believe that it is important to motivate the welders to form an association and take necessary precautions and safety measures and to keep them informed about PCB related health hazards. CEA at the a discussion held on 26 May 2010 on the use of PCB and lead contents in paints made a commitment, as indicated in the minutes, to take the major responsibility for the following which will contribute to the sustainability of the project initiatives ? Develop an action plan to collect missing data on PCB?s and to carry out future activities , ? Use existing legal provisions and firmly inform CEB, LECO Lanka transformers and IDB to obtain waste management licenses as the generators and storers of PCB wastes ? To distribute an instruction /guidelines sheet dealing with safety measures with the license , ? To arrange a meeting with all stakeholders to obtain their assistance Though PPV firmly believes that to minimizing POP?s it is necessary to attack the identified sources they are aware of constraints such as reluctance on the part of CEB, for Security reasons, to allow outsiders to enter the premises and examine the transformers. In this context the PPV thinks that it is important that they should not focus only on the Managerial staff but conducts awareness raising programs to convert the junior staff as well PPV also believes that for sustainability it is important to enlist the support and participation of the Welders. The meeting held in the Kalutara town on 16 July 2010 to raise awareness among welders about the harmful effects of PCB?s was attended by representatives from the environment authority, MOH office , community medicine division of the Medical faculty ,Colombo health department, UNDP /GEF ? SGP as well as welders. At this meeting welders openly expressed their views and high lighted some of the practical problems they faced such as the lack of specific information about places where the new oil is sold and how it could be transported at low cost . It was revealed that they were currently in the habit of purchasing oil which maybe contaminated from the door to door salesmen. which they found very convenient The Welders assured their full support in getting the young welders mobilized with the MOH?s assistance and wanted further clarification about their specific role and contribution in advancing the desired change At the meeting there was consensus that action need to be taken at two levels - At the higher level necessary action had to be taken to stop the sale of contaminated oil - at the lower levels it was necessary to raise the awareness of welders ? about adverse health and environmental effects of PCBs and needed action and also to keep them informed about the places where the new oil was easily available and how it could be transported at low cost Some of the Recommendations - Need for regular awareness - Provide protective gear show the correct use - In destroying transformers in an environment friendly way - PCB contacted equipment should be identified and labeled - National Implementation plan is comprehensive if implemented can address the issues but problems in implementing - There was a need to conduct more scientific research rather than descriptive studies to establish long term health symptoms attributed to PCB contamination - Should have an easy testing method to ascertain PCB contamination in oil CEA has agreed to take the major responsibility for the following which will contribute to the sustainability of the project initiatives ? Develop an action plan to collect missing data on PCB?s and to carry out future activities , ? Use existing legal provisions and firmly inform CEB, LECO Lanka transformers and IDB to obtain waste management licenses as the generators and storers of PCB wastes ? To distribute an instruction /guidelines sheet dealing with safety measures with the license , ? To arrange a meeting with all stakeholders to obtain their assistance