From: Greenpeace via Jym Dyer <jym@mica.berkeley.edu>
Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive,alt.activism,talk.environment
Subject: NEWS: Propsed Waste Trade Regulation Condemned
Followup-To: talk.environment
Date: 1 Sep 1992 22:24:38 GMT
Organization: The Naughty Peahen Party Line
NNTP-Posting-Host: remarque.berkeley.edu
Originator: jym@remarque.berkeley.edu

[Greenpeace Press Release from Greenbase -- Redistribute Freely]

                           Greenpeace 
             Canadian Environmental Law Association 
 Front Commun Quebecois pour une Gestion Ecologique des Dechets   

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
  
ENVIRONMENTALISTS CONDEMN PROPOSED WASTE TRADE REGULATION 
  
Montreal (August 21, 1992) (GP) Greenpeace, the Canadian 
Environmental Law Association and the Front Commun Quebecois pour 
une Gestion Ecologique des Dechets today condemned the Federal 
Government's proposed regulation on toxic waste trade and said 
that, rather than restrict imports and exports, the proposed reg 
is likely to promote it.  The groups have sent a letter to 
Minister of the Environment Jean Charest asking him to block the 
proposed legislation. 
  
The Federal government has been pushing to have the regulation 
passed in order to ratify the international Basel Convention on 
the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Waste and 
Their Disposal. The convention to date has been used by 
industrial nations to legitimise the dumping of toxic waste in 
lesser industrialised countries. 
  
"If Jean Charest supports anything less than an outright ban on 
the export or import of toxic substances, he is not fulfilling 
his responsibility as a Minister of the Environment," said 
Stephane Gingras, Hazardous Waste Campaigner for Greenpeace 
Canada. "As long as Canada can dump its environmental problems 
onto others, there is no impetus for a reduction in toxic waste 
creation." 
  
Like the Basel Convention itself, the Canadian regulation 
continues to allow the transboundary movement of toxic waste. 
There is no attempt made in the proposed regulation to encourage 
companies to reduce the quantities of waste they generate.  This 
directly contradicts the Green Plan's commitment to reduce 
production of toxic waste in Canada by 50 per cent by 2000.   
Moreover, the inadequate enforcement mechanisms provided in the 
regulation could add to the pattern of growing Canadian and 
global toxic waste problems.  It has long been proven that the 
type of enforcement in the Basel Convention and the proposed 
Canadian regulation victimize communities around the world, 
including those in Canada.  Blainville, Quebec and Sarnia, 
Ontario have both been victim to shady deals of the hazardous 
waste disposal business. 
  
"Canada is setting up a system that could see an escalation of 
domestic and international toxic waste problems," said Zen 
Makuch, counsel with the Canadian Environmental Law Association. 
"There is no indication that federal or provincial enforcement 
will be increased to deal with the more intense trade in 
hazardous waste either locally or globally.  Instead, the 
regulatory regime and the sham recycling operations it condones 
will ensure a greater threat to communities worldwide." 
  
Further, the definition of terms in the regulation such as "sound 
environmental management" and "competent authority" are 
incomplete, leaving the meaning open to arbitrary interpretation.  
Neither this regulation, nor the Basel Convention, has rigid 
standards for what might constitute a "competent authority" which 
has the right to veto or approve toxic waste being brought into 
the country in question.  This is of particular concern in 
countries ruled by non-democratic governments, where authorities 
will not guarantee that communities will go unharmed by the local 
disposal of some of the most hazardous substances known to 
humankind. 
  
Further shortcomings of the regulation include a liability system 
which is insufficient in terms of delineating responsibility and 
coverage in the case of spills or accidents.  As well, the 
regulation does not provide for access to information to Canadian 
citizens concerning the movement of toxic waste. 
  
  
For more information, please contact: 
  
Stephane Gingras, Greenpeace  (514) 933-0021 poste 3010 
Zen Makuch, counsel, Canadian Environmental Law Association  
(416) 960-2284 
Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive