From: tgray@igc.apc.org (Tom Gray)
Newsgroups: sci.environment
Subject: IPS: Marshall Is. and Oiled Soil
Date: 4 Jan 93 23:13:00 GMT
Nf-ID: #N:cdp:1466602021:000:5611
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!tgray    Jan  4 15:13:00 1993


/* Written 12:22 am  Dec 10, 1992 by newsdesk@igc.apc.org in igc:ips.englibrary */
VCopyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: MARSHALL ISLANDS: In a dilemma over U.S. shipment of toxic dirt


sydney, dec 8 (ips/kalinga seneviratne) --  the marshall islands
have been looking for landfill to build a causeway, but
authorities decide this week if they need the material that badly
to settle for petroleum-contaminated soil from a u.s. oil firm.

when the marshall islands-bound ship carrying 8,000 tonnes of
petroleum-drenched soil left hawaii last month, it did so amidst
a roaring debate there among environmentalists, health officials
and the oil firm unocal corporation, which had supplied the
material.

hawaii state regulators are uncomfortable with the unocal
shipment to the pacific republic of 34 islands and 870 coral
reefs. sampling results submitted by unocal consultants have
shown high levels of cadmium, lead and other contaminants in the
soil.

''we wouldn't let it happen here,'' said hawaii health
department official carolyn winters. ''we think people in the
marshall islands should know what they are getting.''

the soil was excavated from around leaking underground oil
storage tanks at sites owned by unocal in hawaii. in the past
three years, the los angeles, california-based firm has been
fined more than seven million dollars for breaching toxic waste
and emission regulations in california and washington states.

unocal officials have said they are footing the 2.25 million-
dollar bill for shipping the contaminated dirt to the marshall
islands, which will use it to build a causeway connecting its
islands of gugeegue and south loi. a second shipment is scheduled
for dec. 14, also from hawaii.

the marshall islands' kwajalein atoll development authority
(kada) has been planning to build the causeway for almost ten
years but has had trouble finding suitable low-cost material
project. the debates in hawaii, however, have forced it to think
twice about using the unocal material.

the cargo was due to arrive in guam on the week-end. it will
reach the marshall islands in a week or so if kada decides to
push on with the deal.

''they are reconsidering the issue because of the protests
going on,'' said 'marshall island journal' editor giff johnson,
who is based in the capital, majuro. ''but my assumption is that
they will agree to accept it.''

unocal spokesperson barry lane has said they have received
marshall island environmental authority approval for the project
and has insisted it conforms to even u.s. state and federal
environmental protection laws. (more/ips)

marshall islands: in a dilemma (2)

he also explained that the project calls for a base of
boulders and dredged coral to support the soil, which will not
come into contact with ocean waters since it will be covered by a
10-centimetre thick cap of asphalt.

still, senator alvin jacklick of kwajalein atoll two weeks ago
issued a statement describing the shipment as an act of ''total
disregard'' by unocal for the 44,000 inhabitants of the marshall
islands.

the issue has been the centre of discussion among his people
for the last five years, he said, but ''up to this date, the
leadership or the people of kwajalein atoll have not made any
decision whether to accept any waste from the united states''.

johnson, however, noted that while the issue has been raised
in the islands' parliament, popular protests have yet to be
mounted against the shipment.

if kada gives it the go-signal, unocal will become the first
u.s. corporation to dump toxic waste in a pacific island country,
said environmentalists.

noni keys of the international environmental group greenpeace
added: ''if this waste deal is not cancelled, then the gates will
be open to further waste dumping deals disguised as 'recycling'
or 'economic opportunities' for pacific countries.''

in a recent report, greenpeace traced the unocal deal to a
small hawaii-based firm, consolidated environmental, inc (cei),
which it said is also trying to arrange waste trade deals in
tonga, fiji, the philippines and other asia-pacific countries.

earlier this year, cei obtained permission from the marshall
islands government to build a toxic waste incinerator on likiep
atoll to burn imported tyres and assorted industrial wastes from
the united states. the company is pitching a similar deal to
tonga.

the marshall islands incinerator project has been called a
'resource recovery system'. cei, which plans to ship 14,000
tonnes of ''high-heating value industrial waste'' per year to the
islands, has said kada will take the 'carbon black' residue from
the burned wastes for use in the causeway project.

environmentalists say the waste trade is a difficult issue to
address in a region where most of the island nations are cash-
strapped.

but in 1988, tongans protested and successfully forced their
government to reject a package of jobs, revenue and a new waste
facility that came attached to a hazardous waste incinerator
project proposed by a u.s. company.  (end/ips/en/ks/cb/92)

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Tom Gray (tgray@igc.apc.org)