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Press Release by Basel Action Network

SEATTLE, U.S.A, 13 September  2002  -- The Basel Action Network (BAN) has roundly criticized the United States Environmental Protection Agency and their new proposed rule on Cathode Ray Tube (CRTs) and Mercury Containing Wastes in comments submitted on Monday. The EPA ruling will allow the export of waste CRTs containing the toxic metal lead, without any controls whatsoever.

The environmental group contends that EPA is perpetuating a policy of global environmental injustice that flies in the face of its national commitments to assure that no population is forced to suffer a disproportionate environmental burden. Further BAN has pointed out that the proposed rule is actually illegal under an accord signed by the United States with other member nations of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 1986.

"The EPA seems not to care one whit about environmental justice outside of its own borders, nor does it seem to worry itself with details like international law," said BAN coordinator Jim Puckett. "Rather they will go very far out of their way to provide openings to sweep America's toxic waste problems out the back door and very cynically they do this using the pretext of promoting "recycling".

In February BAN together with the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition and other Asian environmental groups, released a shocking exposé that showed that the United States government, unlike any developed nation in the world, allows the export of hazardous e-waste to developing countries with no controls whatsoever. In Asia the waste is recycled in very dangerous and deadly conditions leaving workers exposed to toxic substances and the Asian environment trashed. Much of this waste goes to China - a country that has banned its importation.

The report called on the United States to close the e-waste export floodgates. Even the Chinese government in recent media releases called on exporting countries to take responsibility for their own wastes. However the EPA subsequently released its ruling for the management of hazardous CRTs, the bulky toxic lead-containing tube in a typical computer monitor or television, that will likely increase exports of such wastes.

"The proposed rule is both an insult and an injury to all of those around the world that have expressed concern about toxic dumping and global environmental justice," said Puckett. "After receiving much praise from EPA insiders for our work in exposing the dirty trade in electronic waste, it comes as a shock to see the Agency turn around and actually propose rules designed to exempt hazardous electronic wastes from the few export controls now possible under national law."

For more information: BAN's elaborated comments can be found on the web at:

http://www.ban.org/Library/BAN_comments_CRTrule.PDF

BAN Spokesperson Jim Puckett can be reached at: 1.206.652.5555