GOVERNMENT COMPILES NEW RULES AGAINST ILLEGAL WASTE EXPORTS by Kyodo News Service TOKYO, Japan, 3 March 2000 -- The Japanese government announced Friday [3rd March] that it has tightened rules to require authorities to keep a lookout for illegal exports of garbage. The new rules, compiled by seven government bodies such as the Foreign Ministry, the International Trade and Industry Ministry and the Health and Welfare Ministry, requires authorities to report any suspicious shipments to customs officials. The move follows the discovery that hazardous waste was illegally exported to Manila last year. Officials will also require waste-disposal companies and Japanese embassies in countries to which waste is exported to confirm the legality of the shipments. The officials will discuss details of the rule with counterparts in the Philippines in the middle of this month. Japanese waste-disposal company Nisso Ltd reportedly exported 122 containers full of materials such as adult diapers, aluminum foil and sanitary napkins to the Philippines against the Basel Convention. The Japanese government returned the shipment to Japan in January at the request of Manila. 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