Blacksmith Institute

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Blacksmith Institute
Formation 1999
Type International NGO
Location New York City, New York
President Richard Fuller
Website http://www.blacksmithinstitute.org

Founded in 1999, Blacksmith Institute is an international non-for-profit organization dedicated to eliminating life-threatening pollution in the developing world. Blacksmith identifies and cleans up the world's worst polluted places, focusing on communities where children are most at risk. Based in New York, Blacksmith has completed over 30 cleanup projects around the world. Blacksmith is currently engaged in over 40 projects in 19 countries.

In 2011 Blacksmith was recognized with the UN-backed Green Star Award for its work in environmental emergencies.

Blacksmith is known for its annual World's Worst Polluted Places Reports, for the creation of the Blacksmith Index (used around the world to rate levels of health risk from pollution), and for the Blacksmith database, the only resource of its kind, which currently documents over 600 of the world's worst polluted places. This Polluted Places Initiative identifies polluted sites throughout the world by means of an online nomination process.[1]

Blacksmith is currently expanding their database with the Global Inventory Project. Blacksmith investigators are assessing polluted hotspots in over 60 countries to build the first comprehensive global inventory of the world's worst polluted places with human health impact. The sites identified in this global inventory will be targeted for cleanup under the Health and Pollution Fund.

[edit] Health and Pollution Fund

In 2008, Blacksmith began coordinating an international effort to create the Health and Pollution Fund, a $500 million-$1 billion USD global public health fund to support the cleanup and elimination of life-threatening pollution in the developing world.

[edit] Blacksmith Success Stories

Below are some examples of successful interventions

  • Cleanup of the Marilao-Meycauayan-Obando River system in the Philippines, polluted with heavy metals from industrial waste.
  • Cleanup of Haina in the Dominican Republic, a city that has been referred to as the Dominican Chernobyl because of its excessive levels of lead pollution.
  • Reduction of toxic mercury emissions from artisanal gold mining in Manica, Mozambique.
  • Establishing Air Quality Plan for Cambodia.
  • Lead gasoline phase out in Senegal.
  • Lead Pollution in Kabwe, Zambia.
  • Cleanup of groundwater pollution in Kanpur, India.
  • Cleanup of an estimated 3,000 tons of hazardous industrial wastes in Muthia village, Ahmedabad City, India.
  • Removal of radioactive waste in Krasnoufimsk in the Central Urals, Russia.
  • Remediation of arsenic mines in Wenshan, China.
  • Remediation of old uranium mining sites in Romanovka Village, Russia.

[edit] World's Worst Polluted Places Reports

Since 2006, Blacksmith Institute's yearly reports have been instrumental in increasing public understanding of the health impacts posed by the world's worst polluted places, and in some cases, have compelled cleanup work at these sites. Previous reports have identified the top ten world's worst polluted places or pollution problems. The 2009 report focuses on 12 Cases of Cleanup and Success. Blacksmith reports have been issued jointly with Green Cross Switzerland since 2007. Read or download reports at www.worstpolluted.org [1]

[edit] 2011 report: The Top Ten of the Toxic Twenty

The report lists the worst toxic pollution problems according to human health impact. The evaluation is based on data collected by the Blacksmith Institute and the Swiss Green Cross.

Top Ten Worst Toxic Pollution Problems:

  • Artisanal Gold Mining - Mercury
  • Industrial Estates - Lead
  • Agricultural Producteion - Pesticides
  • Lead Smelting - Lead
  • Tannery Operation - Chromium
  • Mining and Ore Processing - Mercury
  • Mining and Ore Processing - Lead
  • Lead-Acid Battery Recycling - Lead
  • Naturally Occurring Arsenic in Ground Water - Arsenic
  • Pesticide Manufacturing and Storage - Pesticide

[edit] 2010 report: Top Six Toxic Threats

The report identifies and quantifies the impacts of the most damaging toxic pollutants. The Top Six Toxic Threats are:

  • Lead
  • Mercury
  • Chromium
  • Arsenic
  • Pesticides
  • Radionuclides

[edit] 2009 report: 12 Cases of Cleanup and Success

The report lists 10 programs, unranked, as examples of successful efforts to reduce the toll of pollution on human health. It also includes two initiatives with worldwide impact.[citation needed]

[edit] 2008 report: Top Ten World's Worst Pollution Problems

  • Artisanal Gold Mining
  • Contaminated Surface Water
  • Indoor Air Pollution
  • Industrial Mining Activities
  • Groundwater Contamination
  • Metals Smelting and Processing
  • Radioactive Waste and Uranium Mining
  • Untreated Sewage
  • Urban Air Quality
  • Used Lead Acid Battery Recycling

[edit] 2006 and 2007 reports: Top Ten World's Worst Polluted Places

As of September 2007, the Institute lists the following as the world's ten most polluted places (in alphabetical order by country):[2]

Also mentioned

The Institute has operated in China since 2002.[3]

World's "Dirty 30"

In its 2007 report, The World’s Worst Polluted Places issued on September 16, the Blacksmith Institute included Meycauayan and Marilao in Bulacan, Philippines, in the list of the world’s thirty most polluted places in the developing world.The World’s Worst Polluted Places It stated: "Industrial waste is haphazardly dumped into the Marilao, Meycauayan, and Obando River system, a source of drinking and agricultural water supplies for the 250,000 people living in and around” the Meycauayan-Marilao area."[4]

[edit] How Blacksmith Works

Blacksmith works cooperatively around the world in partnerships that include governments, the international community, NGOs and local agencies to design and implement innovative, low-cost pollution solutions that save lives. Blacksmith provides strategic, technical, and financial support to local champions working for the betterment of their communities.

The priority of Blacksmith is to work in locations throughout the developing world where human health is most affected by pollution. Its programs involve a multi-step process that includes:

  • identifying polluted places in the developing world with nominations received from members of the international community and through the internet;
  • assessing the health risks at those locations;
  • and designing and implementing a remediation strategy tailored to the specifics of the site in question, using local champions to implement the project in a cooperative fashion.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Harvey, Fiona (2007-09-12). "Planet’s most polluted sites unveiled". The Financial Times. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1d4c0916-6156-11dc-bf25-0000779fd2ac.html. 
  2. ^ "World's Worst Polluted Places 2007". The Blacksmith Institute. September 2007. http://www.blacksmithinstitute.org/ten.php. Retrieved 2007-09-13. 
  3. ^ China Development Brief: Directory of International NGOs
  4. ^ Inquirer.net, Meycauayan, Marilao in world’s ‘Dirty 30’-- report

[edit] External links

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