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VICTORY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE: MERCURY WASTE FROM TAIWAN DUMPED IN CAMBODIA WILL NOT BE RE-DUMPED IN CALIFORNIA

Coalition Press Release

WESTMORELAND, CALIFORNIA, USA, 31 March 1999 -- In what community and environmental justice activists hail as a precedent setting victory, toxic waste firm Safety-Kleen has just notified the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that the mercury-contaminated wastes dumped illegally in Cambodia by Taiwan chemical giant, Formosa Plastics will not be dumped in Westmoreland, California. The waste which now totals 36,000 barrels will instead be returned to the factory site in Taiwan as had been demanded by the activists.

Safety-Kleen's announcement came following Westmoreland community outcry and shortly after they received a letter from EPA announcing that "EPA has determined to rescind its previous letter" approving the shipment and recommends "that Safety-Kleen seek to delay the shipment of waste from Cambodia to the United States pending resolution and clarification of the waste characterization issues."

"We are very happy we have won this victory," said Leonard Mendez of Westmoreland, "now we will fight to close this dump down for good."

EPA reversed itself after local, state and international environmental justice groups expressed outrage that the EPA had relied on only one sample of the mercury-contaminated waste provided by Safety-Kleen and had failed to take into consideration the executive order on environmental justice. The environmental groups provided EPA with the results of independent testing done by the Hong Kong EPA, the National Institute for Minimata Disease and others which documented very high levels of mercury in the waste. Additionally, US Senators Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein had both written letters to EPA Administrator Carol Browner protesting the lax controls over imported hazardous wastes apparent in the case.

"This is an enormous victory for health and environmental justice and a big defeat for Safety-Kleen and Formosa Plastics who had hoped to turn tiny Westmoreland into an international toxic waste dump," said Jane Williams of California Citizens Against Toxics.

"We demand that plans to import waste for dumping in low-income communities of color in the U.S and everywhere cease," said Bradley Angel, Executive Director of Greenaction. "We will continue to oppose such environmental racism."

"This waste being returned to its sender is a wake-up call for corporate responsibility," said Jim Puckett of the Basel Action Network, a group trying to end international waste dumping. "Governments must demand that pollution is eliminated at source and never again allow polluters to profit from dumping toxic wastes on poor unsuspecting countries or communities."

"We are very happy this waste will finally be removed from Cambodian soil. Now international groups must stand vigilant and in solidarity to ensure that this waste is stored safely and above-ground on Formosa Plastics' property," said Lily Hsueh of the Taiwan Environmental Action Network. "Formosa must not be allowed to add these poisons to the many tons they have already dumped on the Taiwanese people."

 

For more information contact:

Jane Williams, California Communities Against Toxics (805) 256-0968

Bradley Angel, Greenaction (415) 566-3475

Lupe Quintero, California Rural Legal Assistance (760) 353-3979

Jim Puckett, Basel Action Network (206) 720-6426

Lily Hsueh, Taiwan Environmental Action Network, (510) 649-0647

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.
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