Transboundary Issues

Although millions of tonnes of hazardous waste is managed according to the proper disposal methods, the major fraction of waste is dumped illegally or is exported to other countries.

(a) The Khian Sea : On 31^sl August 1985, the cargo ship Khian Sea loaded with 15,000 tones of municipal incinerator ash left Philadelphia. Its various stoppage points were Fort Louderdale (Florida), Puerto Rico, the Antilles, the Dominican Republic, Jamiaca, Panama before it dumped 2000 tonnes on shore in Haiti in January 1988. The representatives of the environmental group Greenpeace alerted the local residents to the potentially dangerous levels of arsenic, mercury, dioxin and other toxins in the waste. The authorities then ordered the ship to take its objectionable goods elsewhere.

The ship wandered from place to place for 24 months to get rid of its toxic materials. It travelled in the Caribbean, across to West Africa, around the Mediterranean, through the Suez Canal, past India and over to Singapore.

During its journey to eleven countries in four continents, the description of the cargo changed from non - hazardous ash to general cargo to bulk construction material to topsoil ash fertilizer. The name of the ship also changed from Khian Sea to Felicia to Pelacano.

Somewhere in the ocean, it dumped the remaining material and returned unladen in November 1988.

(b) Toxic Wastes to Koko, Nigeria : During 1987 and 1988,4000 tonnes of mixed chemical waste containing about 150 tonnes of highly toxic PCBs was exported to the river port of Koko, Nigeria from Italy. It happened on the pursuance of an Italian businessman to local landowner

∖ who agreed to store the contents for US $ 100 per month.

was able to get the necessary documents with the help of a local firm, health inspectors and custom officers. Some of the drums started leaking and smell spread over. The rice crop got contaminated and the reports of premature births and deaths consuming it, started coming. The evacuation of Koko was announced. 40 people were arrested for the conspiracy and death penalty was imposed for importers of toxic wastes. The toxic waste was loaded onto two ships for sending it back to Italy. But, one of the ships, the Karin B, was refused entry to Ravenna and was banned from British ports and was prevented entry in French territorial waters. After negotiations, the wastes from the two ships were finally incinerated in the UK.

There are many more such cases and the list does not end with the above two incidents.

(c) In 1980, shipments upto 5 million tonnes of toxic and mixed wastes were proposed to Benin for $ 12.5 million to the benefit of the economy.

(d) Guinea received 15,000 tonnes of toxic incinerator ash from the USA in 1988 but returned it after protests.

(e) In 1988, Italy targeted its 2400 tonnes of toxic waste to Djibouti which was refused. Later, the waste was transported to Venezuela and Syria and then back to Italy. Finally, it was incinerated in UK.

(f) Gabon received nuclear waste from Canada and the USA.

(g) In 1988, over 4000 tonnes of hazardous waste from Italy, Netherlands and West Germany were illegally dumped in Rumania.

(h) In 1988 - 89, Austria incorrectly labelled barrels containing cyanamide, chlorinated solvents and PCBs and dumped them in Poland.

(i) In 1983,27,000 tonnes of toxic waste were illegally dumped by a West German firm in Belgium for saving disposal costs.

The above examples of falsification, illegal dumping and corruption raise many questions about environmental aspects and health risks for humans. The developing countries were treated as dumping grounds by the developed nations by providing money for storing their hazardous wastes.

Such issues related to proper description as well as export / import of hazardous waste raised serious concerns and led to the formulation of certain conventions which are discussed in next section.

10.6