Havana - Waste oils are a real danger to human, animal and plant life and also damage the environment.

The process of sanitation of the Bay of Havana is affected today by the dumping of materials like waste oils, in contravention with the existing laws in the country.

This was explained during the 3rd Training Workshop on the Issue in this capital by the president of the State Working Group at the Bay of Havana (GTE-BH), Santiago Reyes.

Both the state and private sectors fail to comply with the provisions of Law 81 and regulation 136, regarding the incorrect handling and storage of waste oils or other polluting materials, as well as their final destination, said Reyes.

On this issue, GTE-BH specialist, Yoan Cardona, explained that important investments such as the installation of wastewater treatment plants (valued at eight million US dollars) can be affected by the incorrect use of waste oils and hydrocarbons.

A single glass of oil can thwart the correct treatment of hundreds of cubic meters of wastewater. In addition, these materials are well quoted internationally for their re-usability, while in our country we pour them for hundreds of liters in our seas and rivers, Cardona added.

The expert explained that every year in Cuba 70 to 80 thousand tons of waste oils are discarded, which translates into a high negative impact in the development of the biodiversity of the different affected areas; and in the case of the Bay of Havana, a considerable decline in the process of sanitation.

In this regard, Santiago Reyes stressed the need to economically incentivize state and private institutions linked to the collection, handling and processing for the subsequent reuse of waste oils.

That way we can ensure that these hazardous materials are managed properly and, above all, responsibly. We have to prioritize actions that have the lowest economic costs but the greatest ecological impacts, added the GTE-BH president.

The dumping of waste oils to surface and groundwater causes the loss of life due to lack of oxygen, as well as the decrease of the quality and the use value of the water by alteration of the physical-chemical parameters that allow its diverse use.

In addition to damage to the bay ecosystem, the economic impact is also notable. For example: the superficial layers of hydrocarbons and oils dirty the hulls of boats that sails through the area. The cost of cleaning only one of these ships is around US 70,000 dollars.

This is not only a domestic problem. Similar situations are also reported in bays in the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Costa Rica and other Caribbean nations.

In the case of Cuba, the 'Technical Regulation for the Management of Waste Oils' issued by the Unión Cuba Petróleo in January 2014 establishes nationwide norms for the operations and activities that come under the responsibility of the waste oils management system.

Particularly in the Bay of Havana, 129 companies were detected dumping waste oils in the area in 2014, and they all currently continue with problems in waste management.

According to the experts of the GTE-BH, practices used internationally in the management of waste oils have difficulties for its application in Cuba; however, treatment methods are applicable if there is an entrepreneurial culture associated with that activity.