Container housing pesticides pose risks to nearby areas 
KOROR (Palau Horizon) – A 20-feet container housing pesticide chemicals is sitting 10 feet away from Head Start School located in Meyuns.
The Division of Environmental Health (DEH) is eyeing the old incinerator facility at the Belau National Hospital to built a pesticide facility to move the chemicals which could pose health risks to the nearby school.
Eden Ridep Uchel, DEH Acting Chief said the container has been sitting at the division’s compound for three years.
She said that because of lack of local budget , the division is looking for outside grants to build the facility.
She said that the container also sits near the Youth Center in Meyuns, long exposure to the chemicals can be detrimental to the health of the people around the area.
Uchel said the DEH wants to prevent the pesticide from draining into the ground thus increasing the risks to everyone working, living or attending the school nearby.
“The temporary site of the pesticides is not a stabilized site, the container has holes in it,” Uchel said.
She said if students are exposed to the pesticides it could cause skin rashes, the division at the same time wants to protect its workers who had to be exposed to the chemicals.
The division has submitted its application to the Civic Action Coordinating Committee (CACC) to fund the facility.
Uchel said that the proposed site will be more stable and well-equipped to contain the toxic pollutants. The Coordination Committee review all requests for assistance submitted to the United States Civic Action Team.
