KM Viray
Quezon City. Rotting household garbage has once again been illegally exported by Canadian company Chronics, Inc., environmental justice group BAN Toxics (BT) reports. BAN Toxics (BT) is an independent non-government environmental organization focused on the advancement of environmental justice, children’s health, and toxics elimination.
Another 48 containers of Canadian garbage have been discovered at the Port of Manila. Unbelievably, these containers have been in the country for more than a year already is just now undergoing abandonment proceedings under the Bureau of Customs as the consignee. Several customs officials revealed that the contents of the containers were misdeclared as recycled plastics rather than household wastes. The first batch of garbage was discovered in 2013, exported by the same company, which had about 50 containers.
BT Executive director Richard Gutierrez expressed his vexation at the act: “This is insult to injury. Canada’s callous disregard for international law is simply not acceptable any more. We had warned President Aquino about the consequences of letting Canada push us around by agreeing to bury their first illegal shipment on Philippine soil. How long will the Philippines be willing to submit to what is nothing less than waste colonialism?”
International group Greenpeace supported BT saying Filipinos are thoroughly displeased at the idea of becoming the world’s trash bin. Greenpeace Philippines called out to Canada to “do the right thing and take back all of these illegal shipments immediately.”
The act was condemned at the 12th Conference of the Parties of the Basel Convention in Geneva held recently. Under the Basel Convention, household waste is strictly controlled and cannot be exported to any country without prior notification and consent, which Canada did not seek, and did not receive.
“This is a clear cut case of non-compliance with the Basel,” said Seattle-based Basel Action Network (BAN) director Jim Puckett, whose organization keeps a close watch on the Convention. “BAN will be filing a complaint with the Secretariat and will continue to raise this until Canada admits its mistake and prosecutes this case in accordance with the law. Meanwhile any actions by the Philippines to dispose of the Canadian waste will also be condemned as aiding and abetting non-compliance.”
Aside from the Basel Convention, the importation also violates a number of local laws such as the DENR Administrative Order 28 (Interim Guidelines for the Importation of Recyclable Materials Containing Hazardous Substances) and Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.
Banner photo courtesy of news.nationalpost.com.
