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The plans by the Danish Government to burn over 200 tons of imported obsolete pesticides in Mozambique have been challenged by a global alliance of organizations including the Environmental Justice Network Forum (EJNF), Basel Action Network (BAN) and Greenpeace. The international alliance have been calling on Danish Development Minister Poul Nielsen, to immediately halt the project, pending a thorough review of all alternative options including the export to Europe. "There is a danger that the establishment of Danish incineration technology in Mozambique will encourage illegal imports of toxic waste to Mozambique and pose a serious threat to its people and environment," said Bobby Peek of EJNF. The alliance also sent a letter to Mozambique Minister of Environment Bernardo Ferraz highlighting the fact that burning toxic wastes in cement kilns is known to create very dangerous cancer-causing compounds known as dioxins and furans; as well as, the fact that the incinerator will likely serve as a magnet for international waste traffickers in hazardous wastes. The South African company Enviroserve, who are contracted by DANIDA to work on the Mozambique project, have recently halted plans to import U.S. waste to Namibia after government and public opposition. The company is also currently under investigation in South Africa for human rights abuses and environmental injustices. The decision to create an Action Group in Mozambique came after members of the community met with a team of toxic experts visiting Mozambique. Dr. Paul Connett, a chemistry professor from St Lawrence University in the U.S. state of New York, held a press conference yesterday in Maputo, Mozambique to explain the severe public health risks associated with burning chlorinated waste such, as pesticides, in cement kilns and pointed out many of the technical shortcomings of the environmental impact study of the DANIDA incineration proposal. Prior to this meeting, many people in Matola have not even been informed of the project. "The DANIDA environmental impact study is superficial and poorly planned," said Greenpeace Denmark spokesperson Jacob Hartman. "The study barely mentioned the extremely toxic pollution from incineration and or the feasibility of non-incineration treatment. I very much doubt that DANIDA will be able to provide coherent defense to this project in an open forum." The Mozambique Government refused to meet with the team of experts and the Danish Embassy declined the invitation to attend the press conference and provide further information to the public on the Matola based Incinerator. The newly formed Action Group will start working against the toxic incineration proposal and later on other pollution problems in the region. Contact: Bobby Peek Jacob Hartman Janice Lemos Maputo Jim Puckett of Basel Action
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