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MOEF VIOLATES SUPREME COURT ORDER: OPENS FLOODGATES TO WASTE TRADE

Greenpeace Press Release

NEW DELHI, India, 14 July 1999 -- The Ministry of Environment's recent decision to allow the free import of zinc ash is in clear violation of the Supreme Court's order banning the import of hazardous wastes. By taking a unilateral decision to free imports of toxic zinc ash, the Ministry has by-passed the process set up by the Supreme Court empowering the MGK Menon committee to look into all aspects of hazardous waste generation, imports and disposal.

The Supreme Court ban was a direct result of exposes by Greenpeace and other NGOs of the Government's inability to stem the tide of toxic waste dumping by Western countries. In September 1995, Greenpeace exposed German exports of toxic zinc ash to Bhopal-based Bharat Zinc where the conditions of processing and disposal were found to be abysmal.

Analyses performed by Greenpeace on German zinc ash found the waste to be contaminated with 43.21 grams/kilogram of lead and 26.1 grams/kilogram of cadmium. Both lead and cadmium have no known biological function and are potent toxins, particularly for children.

"Environmentally sound hazardous waste reprocessing is a myth. If it were possible, there is no reason why Western countries would be so eager to part with their toxic waste. The Ministry of Environment is clearly acting as an enemy to the environment and a friend of dirty business," said Nityanand Jayaraman, Greenpeace's toxics campaigner in India. "The pressure tactics of the waste trade mafia seem to have worked."

The Basel Convention green lists only zinc ash that is known to be free of hazardous contaminants such as lead and cadmium. Prior to the Supreme Court ban on imports of hazardous wastes, the import of zinc ash was under the restricted list and permissions to import were to be given on a case-by-case basis. This regulation was merely on paper -- more than 140 illegal importers were shipping in various forms of toxic wastes.

By placing zinc ash in the open general license category, the Ministry of Environment has washed its hand of any responsibility to protect the Indian public and environment from hazardous waste dumping.

 

For more information, contact: Nityanand Jayaraman, Telfax: 011 4310651 or in Mumbai: 022 4937008. Email: nity@del3.vsnl.net.in

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