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Xinhua MAPUTO, Mozambique, 22 May 2000 -- A team of technicians is finalizing arrangements to dispose of about 850 tons of obsolete pesticides stored at the waste treatment station in Matola, less than 10 kilometers from the Mozambican capital of Maputo, Monday's "Noticias" daily reported. Despite opposition from environmentalists, the Mozambican government has decided to incinerate some of pesticides in the furnaces of the Matola cement company. Mozambican Environment Minister John Kachamila said that some of the waste will be incinerated,some will be exported, and the remainder is to be buried in a place yet to be defined. "The issue of pesticides is not simple. We have been working in accordance with international rules. This is a national problem that worries the government", he said. He explained that what the government is doing now is to select and define which pesticides will be given which destiny, and that will be done soon. In principle, the pesticides to be buried in a landfill are those which contain heavy metals and are those too dangerous to incinerate. Danish Cooperation and Development Minister Jan Torborg said that the Mozambican Environment Ministry had informed him of its decision on how to deal with the pesticides. The Danish government is involved because it is financing the disposal of the pesticides. 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 |