Stop
Toxic Waste Incineration
in Colombia
Dear
GAIA Participants,
Please respond before 13 February 2004
Warm
greetings from the GAIA Secretariat.
Concerned
citizens and environmental groups in Colombia,
South America, are seeking international support
to block the planned disposal in a cement kiln
of some 160 tons of obsolete pesticides (methyl
parathion and toxaphene) in Nobsa, a borough of
nearly 13,000 people in the town of Sumaguxi,
Boyaca. Nobsa is a major tourist and handicraft
destination in eastern Colombia.
The
planned incineration of these toxic materials
at the Nobsa plant of Holcim, a cement giant with
operations in 70 countries, has ignited widespread
citizens' opposition since December 2003. Last
Saturday, 31 January 2004, a public forum was
held at the Nobsa National School to discuss the
health and environmental risks associated with
the burning of toxic waste in a cement kiln.
Concerned citizens of Nobsa have launched an international
petition calling for the immediate suspension
of the plan to transport and incinerate the obsolete
chemicals in their locality.
GAIA
is deeply concerned about the environmental and
public health threats caused by the abandoned
and obsolete pesticides in Colombia. Our concern,
however, is that by incinerating such toxics,
we simply trade one environmental health threat
for another. We therefore join the Nobsa people
in opposing the plan and urge the Ministry of
Environment, Housing and Territorial Development
to find a truly safe approach to containing and
treating these pesticides. While such an investigation
is underway, we recommend the obsolete pesticides
be securely contained to prevent further contamination
of the environment.
We
call upon all GAIA members and other allies to
support the Nobsa citizens' initiative. Here are
the top 3 immediate actions that you can do:
1.
Endorse the Nobsa citizens' petition, which carries
the following
demands:
a. For experts to evaluate the furnaces that will
be used and for full public disclosure of their
findings and recommendations in the name of transparency
and democracy.
b. For the government to organize consultations
on the issue with national and international environmental
organizations and for the results be forwarded
to the legislature for parliamentary debate and
vote.
c. For the government to implement the provisions
of the Rotterdam Convention on prior informed
consent (PIC).
To
endorse the petition, go to
http://wae.free.fr/htm/formulaire.htm and
fill up the electronic form which is in Spanish. |
