Group wants zero budget for 'toxic' incinerators
,September 28th, 2008
MANILA, Philippines - An environmental group on Sunday demanded a zero budget allocation for medical waste incinerators, saying that payment for the "toxic facilities" facilities could be used to support alternative livelihood for workers who scour garbage dumps and bins for recyclables.
In a statement, the EcoWaste Coalition launched the Stop Toxic Debt (STD) campaign to underscore their claim that the P503.65-million allotted for the Austria Medical Waste Project should instead be used to meet the "most essential needs of Filipinos."
Together with the Freedom from Debt Coalition, the group Coalition staged the campaign in front of the Philippine Heart Center.
"The ongoing budget deliberations offer our lawmakers the chance to correct a toxic blunder that saw polluting incinerators being shipped and dumped into the Philippines, adding to our nations pollution and debt woes," said Manny Calonzo of the EcoWaste Coalition and the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) said.
The Austria Medical Waste Project included the shipment and installation of medical waste incinerators and disinfection units for 26 government hospitals.
Subsequent testing, however, found these incinerators extremely polluting and exceeding national as well as international standards for major pollutants such as dioxin, the most notorious byproduct of waste incineration.
"There is just no way that this immoral and anomalous deal can be justified. We urge the Philippine and Austrian governments to do the right thing and revoke this unconscionable wasting of resources," said Von Hernandez of Greenpeace Southeast Asia.
The loan was financed by the Bank Austria was to be paid in 24 semi-annual payments. To date, the Philippines has paid over $14-million for the principal amortization and interest payment of 4% per annum. By the time the loan matures in 2014, the Philippines will have paid a whopping $26-million for the package originally priced at P503.65 million.
The EcoWaste Coalition believes that at least P100 million could be saved if lawmakers deny allocation for the incinerators.
There are some 150,000 waste pickers in Metro Manila, including children who should be in schools, the group said. A 2004 study by the coalition and GAIA shows that child waste pickers are most vulnerable to harm from repeated exposure to toxic chemicals and occupational health risks.
