This dataset includes incidents of encounters with chemical warfare agents dumped in the Baltic Sea. The position of encounters is given in decimal degrees (WGS84), where the information is available (encounters lacking this geographic information are also included in the dataset, although they lack coordinates). The weight of the warfare agent payload (net weight) was estimated by visual inspection. Disposal on land or the relocation to emergency disposal sites due to potential explosive hazards is indicated, where the information is available. Data sources include incidents reported by HELCOM countries since the establishment of the HELCOM reporting system in 1994, fishing and shoring incidents with chemical warfare materials in Poland(since 1952-1983) and Denmark (1968-1984); the 1991 SACSA report and HELCOM 1994.Further, information about encounters of chemical warfare material by the Nord Stream pipeline project have been included in the dataast.For more details, see the HELCOM report on Dumped chemical munitions in the Baltic Sea (HELCOM 2013).http://www.helcom.fi/Documents/Ministerial2013/Associated%20documents/Background/Dumped%20chemical%20munitions%20in%20the%20Baltic%20Sea.pdfReferences:HELCOM (1994): Report on chemical munitions dumped in the Baltic Sea –report to the 16th Meeting of Helsinki Commission, 8- 11 March 1994, from the Ad Hoc Working Group on Dumped Chemical Munition (HELCOM CHEMU). Danish Environmental Protection Agency (1994).SACSA (1991): Dumping of war gas ammunition –documentation of the Helsinki Commission. Document SACSA 18/8/1-E, presented at the 18thmeeting of the Standing Advisory Committee for Scientific Advicetranscribed from SACSA 1991. |
Reported encounters with chemical warfare materials 1961 to 2012 |