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Greenpeace Press Release SEATTLE, U.S.A., 5 April 2000 -- Dioxin-contaminated PCB wastes from a U.S. military base in Sagami, Japan, are scheduled to arrive at the Port of Seattle today on board the Wanhe. Activists will protest the ship's arrival at Terminal 18. According to the U.S. Coast Guard the ship could arrive as early as 6 PM Pacific Daylight Time. The ship was originally scheduled to unload in Vancouver, but changed course yesterday when the Vancouver Port Authority stated that it would not accept the toxic shipment. "It's similar to the 1987 garbage barge all over again, this time with more hazardous cargo," said Rick Hind of Greenpeace USA, referring to a barge of New York City garbage that was rejected for dumping in other states and countries. "The U.S. must take responsibility for waste generated at military bases around the world, but shipping PCBs off to Canada for incineration is not the answer." The China Ocean Shipping Company's Wanhe is carrying 13 containers of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), weighing 90,000 kilograms. Trans Cycle Industries (TCI) of Alabama planned to prepare the waste for incineration in Canada. TCI then planned to transport the waste to Kirland Lake, Ontario for treatment and then to Swan Hills, Alberta, for incineration. The company's application for an import permit, however, was rejected by the Ontario Ministry of Environment, which has said it will not allow the shipment into Ontario. Under the terms of TCI's contract with the U.S. Department of Defense, the waste now belongs to TCI. "This waste should never have left Japan. The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) could have opted for on-site remedies for the waste," said Greenpeace campaigner Darryl Luscombe in Canada. "From a safety perspective, on-site detoxification of the PCBs is the better choice." Since 1997, it has been illegal for the U.S. military to import foreign manufactured PCB waste into the United States for treatment and disposal. In Japan alone, the U.S. DOD estimates there are nearly 1 million pounds of contaminated wastes from military bases that require treatment. Globally, more than 3.5 million pounds may need treatment. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is negotiating with the U.S. Coast Guard to agree that offloading of the hazardous cargo for temporary storage in Seattle is acceptable. Greenpeace sent a letter to EPA Administrator Browner today, urging her to deny storage of the waste in Seattle. PCBs are highly toxic and persistent substances, and can cause cancer and developmental problems. When incinerated, PCBs will create and emit dioxin into the air, water and onto land. For more information contact: Darryl Luscombe, Greenpeace Toxics, Canada, 604 329 2991 Miranda Holmes, Greenpeace Media, 604 551 3206 Dave Batker, Basel Action Network, 253 224 5208 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 |