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Reuters
The Columbia, South Carolina-based Safety-Kleen will ship the waste in the coming months through the port of Los Angeles to its desert landfill in Westmorland, California, where it will be treated and disposed of, said spokesman Tom Mulliken. ``This is low-grade mercury waste generated during the production of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) pipe,'' he said. Mulliken said the manufacturer, Formosa Plastics, ``had engaged someone to dispose of this waste, and apparently it ended up dumped in Cambodia.'' The illegally dumped waste was discovered in December at an open site some six miles (10 km) from the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville, sparking riots in which at least one person was killed. Several others died in accidents during a panicked exodus of some 10,000 people from the town. The waste had been dumped in 1998. Taipei-based Formosa Plastics initially said the rubble was safe for landfill disposal, but later acknowledged that it contained mercury. Environmental groups and human rights workers said at least two people died after exposure to the waste, although the causes of death were never confirmed. FAIR USE NOTICE. This document contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. The Basel Action Network is making this article available in our efforts to advance understanding of ecological sustainability and environmental justice issues. We believe that this constitutes a `fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond `fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. More News |
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