Environmentalists fight for tougher regulations.
Environmental group representative Ted Smith chided the U.S. Trade Representative's office and other federal agencies for forwarding the agenda of the American Electronics Association, whose members include IBM Corp., Intel Corp., Microsoft Corp. and other electronics manufacturers. The association openly opposes certain elements of Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment, a draft proposal that would control or ban the use of certain materials in the manufacture of electronics. He also denied accusations that the American Electronics Association or any other industry group was dictating U.S. policy. Smith, speaking on behalf of the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition and the International Campaign for Responsible Technology, for which he serves as executive director and coordinator, respectively, said that other officials at the U.S. Trade Representative's office told another story. The conference, attended by representatives from the U.S. departments of State, Commerce and Labor as well as the Environmental Protection Agency, gave Smith the opportunity to demand more federal support for stronger environmental controls on electronics recycling in the United States and worldwide.