Canada, pick up your garbage!
Philippines is not your trash can!!!
In July, 2013 the Bureau of Customs (BOC) in the Philippines seized about fifty (50) 40-footer container vans of “heterogeneous plastic scrap materials” in the Port of Manila. The shipper, Chronic Incorporated, a private company in Ontario, Company (owned by Jim Makris) consigned the shipment to a Philippine based company, Chronic Plastics ( Ms. Adelfa Eduardo).
BOC and DENR conducted inspection of the contents of some container vans and found that the shipment contained mixed waste(non-recyclable plastics, used adult diapers, broken bottles and glasses, waste paper, household/kitchen waste, etc)- a misdeclaration of contents.
The Department of Health (DOH)- Bureau of Quarantine inspected the container vans and reported that the 18 OPENED container vans need to be DISINFECTED the soonest time possible. The Philippine government will shoulder the cost of disinfection through sodium hypochlorite (bleach solution).
The 50 container vans, until now, are left in the vicinity of the BOC. Thegarbage juice is now LEAKING and poses extreme health hazards and irreversible environmental problems in our country.
Aside from environmental concerns, economic issues also come into play as the Philippine government has incurred losses on storage and demurrage brought about by the importation of the contraband.
The imported garbage is a violation of RA 6969 also known as “Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act of 1990”. In the same manner, the importation constitutes ILLEGAL TRADE pursuant to the BASEL Convention “On The Control Of Transboundary Movements Of Hazardous Waste And Their Disposal”. In the said convention, the movement of mixed waste between countries is prohibited. The primary objective of this treaty is “to protect human health and environment against the adverse effects of hazardous wastes.”
In March 2015, it was discovered that a new batch of imported garbage, about 48 container vans have been in the Philippine port since February 2014.
ANG NARS, together with Public Services Labor Confederation (PSLINK), Ateneo School of Government(ASOG), Ban Toxics, Ecowaste Coalition, Greenpeace, Green Convergence, and Mother Earth Foundation petition theCanadian Embassy to hasten the RE-EXPORTATION of the 50 FORTY FOOTER container vans to Canada; to REIMBURSE the actual cost incurred by the Philippine government; and, to RESTITUTE the damages it may have caused.
Pick up your imported garbage, Canada. It’s the civil thing to do for a first world country like you.
NO to Canadian garbage transboundary movement!
Philippines is NOT a dumping site of Canadian garbage!
Kalusugan Para Sa Bayan!
Kamala Kelkar: August 13, 2015
EXCLUSIVE: WWF chief executives write to Ben Van Beurden as Greenpeace and Oil International unveil new report highlighting Arctic drilling risks
