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In this Issue
With this issue, we bring to our readers’ knowledge another
report that will surely shore up community resistance against incineration
as a waste disposal option. A study of the Sint-Niklaas incinerator
in Belgium bears out what we have been telling policymakers: incineration
is bad for public health. Toxic emissions from waste burners lead
to cancers and other ailments and put in danger the long-term health
of host communities. Incidentally, a Belgian court has ordered this
infamous incinerator to shut down by 31 December 2002, six years
before the termination of its license, on the basis of Precautionary
Principle. This is a triumph for people’s health, an act that
other jurisdictions should follow.
Campaigners, particularly those from the south,
will find the excerpts from a soon-to-be-released GAIA book on the
economic drawbacks of incinerating municipal discards useful in
demolishing the assertions of incinerator-pushers. An article extracted
from a new publication of the Health Care Without Harm discusses
non-burn options in handling infectious waste from health institutions.
The last quarter of 2001 saw the release of practical
Guides and Kits, which are excellent tools for managing campaigns
and garnering successes. Creatively using these resource materials
will enable activists to defeat incinerators and other end-of-pipe
“solutions” to our culture of wasting. This will certainly
bring in more upbeat entries for our Putting Out the Flames and
News from the Regions sections.
Also featured in this issue is the successful launch
of the Zero Waste Kovalam Project that promises a future without
waste for this splendid beach town in southern India. Finally, this
issue carries a message from the GAIA Coordinators, which touches
upon the key achievements of GAIA since its birth in South Africa
last year, as well as the challenges we face in the year ahead.
Salamat (thank you) to all who assisted
us in this effort. Welcome to GC, your newsletter.
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Belgian
Study Affirms Incinerator-Cancer Link
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A study by the Belgian Platform for Environment
and Health in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium affirmed links between incinerator
emissions and health problems, including various types of respiratory
ailments and cancers. Sint-Niklaas, a commercial, industrial and
transportation center in the Waas region with a population of 40,000,
is host to a 55,500 ton/year waste incinerator built amidst a residential
area. The report entitled "De Mispelstraat (Medlarstreet):
Living Under the Smoke of a Waste Incinerator" is dedicated
to children who have died of cancer and to those who are suffering
from diseases caused by the incinerator in Sint-Niklaas, the only
industrial source of dioxin emission in the affected neighbourhood.
For 21 years, the incinerator ashes were stored and transported
in open containers. Until now, the incinerator has been operating
without nitrogen filter.
The Belgian NGO conducted the health investigation in January 1998
in Medlarstreet, which is situated within a distance of 300 to 900
meters from the waste incinerator and in the dominant wind direction.
The survey, administered by a doctor from the Catholic University
of Louvain and an independent anaesthetist, drew the participation
of 281 individuals from 88 of the target 145 families. Records indicate
that 9 boys out of 10, between 2 to 9 years old, had one or more
health complaints that includes, breathing disturbances, infections
of the bronchial tubes, asthma, allergies to dust or cow's milk,
non-closing of stomach valve etc.
The study uncovered 33 cancer occurrences among 145 residents (18
males and 15 females), one out of 4.4 persons on the average. Twenty-nine
of the 33 cancer occurrences appeared during the last 10 years.
Very striking is the number of young people with leukaemia and gland
cancer, eight of whom live at less than one kilometer from the waste
incinerator. While cancer frequency was more or less equal to normal
occurrence expectations from 1986-1988, it was 4.8 times more than
the normal occurrence expectations for Belgium during the1995-1997
period.
Cancers occur mainly in the dominant wind directions and in the
immediate neighborhood of the incinerator plant. Cancer occurrences
decrease when the distance from the incinerator increases. The study
also indicated that many young people (mostly women) who used to
live in the neighbourhood of the incinerator have problems with
fertility, pregnancy and birth. As a result of their own observations
and the findings by other groups, the Belgian NGO was able to outline
a pattern of health complaints resulting from the toxic emissions
of the Sint-Niklaas waste incinerator
Based on the Report by the Belgian Platform Health and Environment.
For the complete report, please see www.milieugezondheid.be
. Please contact Fred De Baere at info@milieugezondheid.be
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GAIA:
One Year Later
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by Ann Leonard and Von Hernandez
Happy New Year to GAIA members around the world.
We hope that the New Year will bring success in
all our battles against polluting incinerators and
for safe and sound alternatives
It is just over a year since the Global Alliance for Incinerator
Alternatives/Global Anti-Incinerator Alliance was launched by 75
people from 23 countries meeting outside Johannesburg, South Africa.
GAIA has accomplished much in the past 13 months and has much more
to do in the years ahead.
GAIA's membership has grown to over 180 individuals
and groups in 50 countries. We have set up an International Secretariat
in the Philippines with two full time staff. We have given US$50,000
in small grants to our members to support an amazing array of initiatives
which further GAIA's goals in Argentina, Armenia, Belarus, Bulgaria,
France, Haiti, India, Kenya, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Philippines,
Russia, Slovenia, Uganda, UK, and USA. Thanks to all of you, the
GAIA listserve continues to sizzle with ongoing campaign conversations
and exchanges on incinerators and related waste issues.
GAIA members have accomplished more than we can
completely list here. For example, member NGO Thanal in Southern
India launched a Zero Waste Kovalam project to turn a plastic-bottle
strewn tourism town into a model Zero Waste Community. The Waste
Prevention Association in Poland has given the alliance a valuable
campaign tool when it created a massive database of existing and
proposed incinerators around the world. GAIA members throughout
Asia held a meeting which brought together 70 activists from 16
countries to strengthen regional collaboration to better resist
the incinerator juggernaut now threatening to engulf Asia. GAIA
has also launched a project calling on the organizers of the upcoming
World Summit for Sustainable Development, a follow-up to the Rio
Earth Summit, to commit to Zero Waste goals and principles for the
actual meeting in South Africa.
From our point of view, it has been especially exciting
to see the amazing response all of you provided to the many urgent
action alerts GAIA members posted to the listserve and webpage.
The flood of emails and letters we all generate when each other
needs support is a great demonstration of the power of international
collaboration.
And even more is currently in the works. The GAIA
Secretariat has taken over the management of the web site and will
be improving it over the coming months. GAIA members in the US and
Philippines are researching international agency support for incinerator
proposals in the South and will soon release their findings. The
US-based Institute for Local Self-Reliance is finishing up a report
on Zero Waste issues in the Global South. A Clean Production Training,
which we are co-organizing with GAIA member, Greenpeace will be
held in Thailand and a Zero Waste Training Program for members is
being developed by long time recycling-experts in California. While
we have achieved a lot, much more needs to be done. We are witnessing
a resurgence of incineration proposals in the USA as well as in
Europe, opportunistically using the clever verbal camouflage of
"green energy". Incinerator pushers are fanning out across
the globe peddling both old and new variant systems like pyrolysis,
gasification and so-called "biomass" systems. The challenge
is to remain vigilant against the slick and fraudulent moves of
the opposition while being exceptionally aggressive at the same
time in the promotion of the real solutions to the waste crisis.
That is why our key strategy for the upcoming months
include the strengthening of the front line work in the regions
where GAIA members are addressing waste issues. As discussed in
South Africa, GAIA plans to further support regional research, the
conduct of additional skillshares and planning meetings, and the
establishment of truly functional regional nodes to make the provision
of campaign support and assistance physically and contextually closer
to our members. As we celebrate our one year of existence, it is
prudent to remember that our fight against incinerators, landfills
and polluting back-end disposal practices is actually a struggle
against the negative and destructive forces of overconsumption and
dirty industrial development. It is essentially a struggle to shift
the dominant paradigm to one which is truly respectful of life and
the rights of future generations.
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Incineration:
Wasted Money, Wasted Resources
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by Brenda Platt
Dozens of incinerators are currently proposed in the global south,
where waste generation is rising. Touted as a safe solution to overflowing
landfills, incineration is tempting many local governments. In reality,
incineration is far from safe. In an upcoming report for GAIA, the
Institute for Local Self-Reliance documents the economic pitfalls
of municipal solid waste incineration. Here are some of our findings:
Incinerators are the most costly waste management option.
Incineration requires large capital investments and incurs high
operating costs. Net costs for incinerators are at least twice as
high as net costs for landfills. Capital investment – usually
running US$50 million to $280 million -- represents more than half
of total costs. Recycling and composting facilities cost far less
to build and operate. A recent World Bank report concluded, “…when
applying waste incineration, the economic risk of project failure
is high…”
Waste composition affects incinerator operation and finances.
Most waste incinerators were designed and tested in industrialized
countries and are far less suitable for the waste stream in less-industrialized
nations. In the global south, the moisture content of waste is frequently
above 40%. An incinerator in Surabaya, Indonesia, operates at only
two-thirds of its capacity because the wastes need to be dried on-site
for five days before burning. A $10 million New Delhi, India incinerator
was closed right after opening because waste was too wet.
Energy revenues are often over-estimated.
Incinerator advocates often over-estimate anticipated revenues from
energy sales, resulting in higher than anticipated operating costs.
At a Maryland (U.S.) facility, actual electricity revenue was half
of initial projections. This combined with other financial problems,
spurred the local government to raise property taxes to cover costs.
Pollution control is expensive and does not eliminate pollution.
Pollution control cannot make incinerators safe, but it does significantly
raise costs. In Amsterdam, an 1,800 tonne-per-day facility cost
US$600 million with half the cost covering air pollution control
equipment. Owners of the Sheffield, U.K. incinerator spent over
28 million pounds bringing the facility up to European standards.
As a result, the local government can no longer afford to make debt
payments and plans to sell it.
Incinerators often receive far less tonnage than they were designed
to process, leading to financial problems.
Incinerator operators typically count on a per tonne “tip fee”
and a certain annual tonnage throughput to pay off incinerator debts
and cover operating costs. When tonnage falls below projected levels,
incinerators experience financial woes. In New Jersey (U.S.), the
state provided a $1 billion subsidy to five county incinerators
that could not burn enough trash. In the global south, where a regulatory
infrastructure is generally lacking, tonnage shortfalls would likely
be common.
Lack of infrastructure in lesser industrialized countries may
doom incinerators to financial failure.
To be financially viable, incineration requires a fully developed
and controlled solid waste system. This means guaranteed supplies
of waste in terms of quantity and quality; a system for ensuring
payment of solid waste charges; authorities responsible for control
and enforcement; and skilled workers and adequate plant management.
Less-industrialized countries often lack these necessary institutional
arrangements.
Incinerators hamper least-cost options such as recycling.
Incinerators need steady amounts of garbage to operate
and pay off debt. Because of their voracious appetite for fuel,
they lock up the waste stream and hamper recycling. Their high costs
usually leave little money for recycling. For example, in Warsaw
a funding organization granted a loan for an incinerator provided
the city continued to finance separate recycling collection. However,
after obtaining the loan, the city violated the agreement by cutting
finances for its recycling program.
Incinerators put the livelihoods of wastepickers at risk and
reduce overall business opportunities from recycling.
Incineration is capital-intensive and uses little
labor. In the U.S., just sorting recyclables sustains approximately
11 times more jobs than incineration. In the global south, material
recovery activities are even more labor-intensive. An estimated
2% of the population in less-industrialized countries survives by
recovering materials from waste. Incinerators put the livelihoods
of these workers at risk. In and around Cairo, 928 enterprises employing
thousands of workers recover 124,800 tons per year of discarded
materials. However the new trend in Egypt to invite the private
sector to manage solid waste, risks replacing the efficient informal
sector’s door-to-door service with large-scale, inappropriate
technologies.
Fortunately, numerous projects around the world demonstrate that
recycling programs can reduce disposal at a lower cost than incineration.
The challenge is to direct the millions of dollars slated for incinerators
into waste reduction systems that maximize economic development
opportunities.
MOKATTAM CASE STUDY
Egyptians have a long-standing tradition of recovery, trade, and
recycling of non-organic waste. It has also spawned specialized
towns, which have become centers of micro-enterprise recycling industries.
Mokattam, a settlement on the outskirts of Cairo, is the leading
one. Nearly all of Mokattam's almost 20,000 residents work with
waste. Referred to as " zabbaleen", the residents collect,
sort, and / or recycle one-third of Cairo's trash ( pop. 15 million).
Local municipalities, organized by the Cairo Cleaning and Beautification
Authority, collect another third. The rest sits uncollected on the
streets of Cairo. The zabbaleen recover an impressive 80% of the
materials they collect at no cost to the Cairo City Government.
In contrast, the portion handled by the government is disposed at
acost of LE 110 million per year (US$ 26 million) and $100 milion
for equipment needs.
Mokattam is a hub of recycling activity, generating employment and
income for thousands of individuals who have become the most innovative
and enterprising recyclers in Egypt. Three types of businesses thrive:
(1) collectors (2) intermediary trading enterprises, and (3) recycling
workshops.
Collectors: 176 enterprises collect, recover, and trade waste. About
90% provide daily collection service directly to 58,100 middle-low
income and high-middle income households in Cairo for an average
monthly fee of LE 2-4 (US$ .47-$0.94). The remaining garbage collector
enterprises are roamers; they collect materials accumulated on the
streets or in empty lots. The garbage collectors collect about 375
tonnes per day or 124,800 tonnes per year. They recover about 80%
of this tonnage, which they trade , prepare as primary inputs for
formal industry, or remanufacture themselves.
Intermediary Trading Enterprises: Mokattam has about 80 trading
enterprises that sort or process materials for sale to other customers
for resale or for manufacturing purposes. The enterprises employ
an estimated 411 workers. Traders generally specialize in one type
of material such as plastics or glass.
Recycling Workshops: Mokattam's 228 recycling workshops employ 1,435
workers and vary in size, scope, andactivities. Some specialize
in a particular step of the recycling loop and have only one machine.
Others have large investments and recycle certain tyoes of materials
in a multi-step process. The workshops produce final and intermediary
products, which are sold to customers throughout the country.
Sources:
The Informal Solid Waste Sector in Egypt: Prospects for Formalization
( Cairo: Community and Institutional Development, January 2001)
Laila Iskander Kamel, Urban Governance: The Informal Sector and
Municipal Waste in Cairo”, December 2000. Available at http://www.archis.org/english/archis_art_e2000/archis_art_00012b_e.html>.
Site visited August 14,2001.
Brenda Platt is a researcher from Institute for
Local Self-Reliance, Washington, DC
e-mail: bplatt@ilsr.org
http://www.ilsr.org/recycling
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Alternatives
to Medical Waste Incineration <
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by Jorge Emmanuel
Many hospitals are under the impression that incineration
is the only way to deal with the problem of infectious wastes. More
dangerously, hospitals are made to believe that incinerators are
actually a sound technology to dispose medical wastes. The problems
of incinerators are many and these have been dealt with in the previous
issue of GAIA Campaigner. However, this article aims to inform hospital
managers about the various non-incineration technologies available
to deal with infectious waste (the most problematic component of
discards from a medical establishment).
Of the total discards originating from health care facilities --
including hospitals, clinics, and biomedical laboratories -- less
than 15 percent is infectious or hazardous. The remainder is not
unlike municipal solid waste and includes paper, food waste, and
other recyclable or compostable material.
Infectious wastes, if improperly handled and disposed, could lead
to the spread of diseases especially among health workers, waste
haulers and landfill workers, and communities living near waste
dumps. Improper disposal could also result in the contamination
of soil, groundwater, and surface waters.
Non-incineration alternatives are specifically designed to treat
infectious waste. This includes sharps (needles, syringes, glassware),
cultures and stocks of infectious agents, blood and body fluids,
and pathological waste (tissues, organs).
Incineration, until recently a popular treatment for medical waste,
creates a host of problems. Medical waste incinerators are a major
source of dioxins and furans in the environment due to the large
quantities of chlorinated plastics (primarily PVC) found in the
medical waste stream. Incinerators also emit particulate matter,
heavy metals (mercury, lead, cadmium), acid gases (hydrogen chloride,
sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides), and other combustion byproducts
such as carbon monoxide. Moreover, medical waste incinerators generate
toxic ash. The practice of burning all waste from a hospital has
impeded the implementation of waste segregation and minimization
programs.
Many non-incineration alternatives exist for the treatment of medical
waste. However, in order to maximize the benefits of non-incineration
technologies, a strategic framework of waste segregation and minimization
is needed. The strategic framework entails
a. an analysis of the waste stream;
b. implementation of an effective waste
collection, transport, and storage system;
c. development of waste management and
contingency plans;
d. occupational safety and health
considerations;
e. worker training; and
f. proper siting of the technology.
Four major processes are used to disinfect infectious waste: thermal,
chemical, irradiative, or biological.
Thermal processes rely on heat to destroy pathogens. The low-heat
thermal processes (operating below 180°C) utilize moist or dry
heat and do not involve combustion. They are the most widely used
alternatives and include autoclaves or retorts, advanced autoclaves,
and microwave units.
Autoclaves have been around for many years and can be found in a
wide range of capacities, from small units in clinics to large systems
in centralized facilities capable of handling thousands of kilograms
per hour.
An autoclave is simply a metal chamber designed to withstand elevated
pressures and fitted with a door through which the waste is introduced.
Steam is injected into an outer jacket and into the treatment chamber
either by gravity displacement of air or after a pre-vacuum cycle.
The levels of disinfection achieved are dependent on temperature
and the length of time of exposure to steam.
Advanced autoclaves are autoclaves with added features such as automatic
or continuous waste feeding; internal shredding and mixing to improve
the penetration of heat; drying; and post-treatment grinding or
compaction.
Other low-heat processes include microwave technologies that use
microwave energy to provide moist heat and to generate steam from
water in the waste. These units range from small batch processes
to continuous systems that treat up to 400 kg per hour. Dry heat
systems circulate heated air in the treatment chamber to disinfect
the waste.
Medium-heat technologies (180 to 370°C) are under development.
High-heat thermal processes (over 500°C) are mostly in the development
or demonstration phase and may be targeted more towards health care
waste that are difficult to treat such as bulk chemotherapy agents,
used disinfectants or solvents, and expired pharmaceuticals. Some
poorly designed high-heat systems have failed performance and emission
criteria. These technologies are generally expensive and only a
few are fully commercialized.
Chemical processes employ disinfectants to destroy pathogens, or
chemicals to decompose the waste, or agents to encapsulate the waste.
The use of chlorine disinfectants (in the form of bleach or chlorine
dioxide) has raised concerns about the possible formation of chlorinated
byproducts in the wastewater. Non-chlorine chemical systems include
those that use lime powder, lime slurries, or peracetic acid (which
eventually breaks down into vinegar).
Systems that use heated alkali to digest tissues, pathological waste,
and animal carcasses have been found to be effective in also destroying
chemotherapy agents as well as prion diseases such as mad cow disease.
Irradiation involves the use of ionizing radiation to destroy microorganisms.
In the past, this technology has been used for sterilizing food
and medical products. Biological processes use enzymes or microorganisms
to decompose organic matter. Both irradiative and biological systems
are in the development or demonstration stage. Small treatment technologies
are available to treat only sharps by destroying needle portions
or by melting and encapsulating syringes.
Although many alternatives exist, no one technology offers a panacea
to the problem of medical waste disposal. Each technology has its
advantages and disadvantages. Facilities have to determine which
non-incineration technology best meets their particular needs while
protecting health and the environment.
When selecting an alternative technology, the following factors
should be considered:
the nature and quantum of wastes generated;
the technology's ease-of-use, throughput capacity
and microbial inactivation efficacy;
the types of wastes treated by the technology;
the environmental emissions, noise, odour and waste
residues;
regulatory acceptance;
space, utility (water/electricity etc) and other
installation requirements;
waste reduction potential;
the technology's reliability, level of commercialization,
track record and cost;
community and staff acceptance.
This article is based on a new publication "Non-Incineration
Medical Waste Treatment Technologies" by the Health Care Without
Harm (HCWH). Inclusion of medium and high-heat thermal processes
does not suggest approval of pyrolysis, gasification and plasma
arc systems as substitutes to incineration. The HCWH will soon release
an update that will show pyrolysis and gasification systems, while
being promoted as clean non-burn alternatives, are still capable
of generating dioxins, furans and other pollutants of concern, despite
marketing and promotional claims to the contrary.
(http://www.noharm.org/library/docs/Non-Incineration_Medical_Waste_Treatment_Techn.pdf)
For inquiries, e-mail Bryony Schwan, GAIA-HCWH Liaison
Officcer at: swan@wildrockies.org.
Dr. Jorge Emmanuel is consultant to Health Care Without Harm on
alternative medical waste treatment technologies.
e-mail: jemmanuel@mindspring.com
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PUTTING
OUT THE FLAMES
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Belarus. The local authorities
of Volkovysk district, responding to public pressure, stopped the
process of building special cement kiln for burning obsolete pesticides
and hazardous waste. (Lobanow@yahoo.com)
Belgium. A Belgian court, on the basis of
Precautionary Principle, orders the MIWA waste incinerator in Sint-Niklaas
to close down on 31 December 2002 to prevent environmental damage
and safeguard public health. The judgement, which is on appeal,
is considered a milestone in environmental protection and justice.
(milieugezondheid@tiscalinet.be)
Canada. Nova Scotia has reached the 50 per cent waste diversion
goal set in 1989 by the Canadian Council of the Ministers of the
Environment (CCME. Among the provinces in Canada, only Nova Scotia
significantly disposes less waste than all other provinces. Its
per capita waste generation number has been reduced to 390 kg. annually
which includes construction and demolition waste. The recycling
and composting of waste reduces many sources of pollution including
green house gases, particularly methane, from landfills. (http://www.gov.ns.ca/envi/wasteman)
France. The regional authorities shut down
the domestic waste incinerator of Albertville, near the Swiss-Italian
borders, after record levels of dioxin contamination were discovered
in the environment. "It is becoming urgent for Yves Cochet,
green environment minister, to put into place a ban on the construction
of new incinerators in France" commented Pierre-Emmanuel Neurohr,
director of CNIID. (pierre@cniid.org)
Germany. The German Cabinet adopted the draft
ordinance requiring higher levels of materials and energy recovery
from industrial waste entering the municipal waste stream. The new
law, which still needs approval from the Parliament, applies both
to trade waste and some types of construction and demolition waste.
Paper, glass, plastics and metals will have to be separated and
a recovery rate of at least 85% achieved. While GAIA is concerned
that the “energy recovery” provisions not be used to justify
increased dirty energy production from incinerators, we are optimistic
about the increased materials recovery aspect of the ordinance.
(http://www.bmu.de/download/dateien/gewerbeabf_verord.pdf)
India. The Tamil Nadu State Pollution Control
Board (PCB) has launched a massive public awareness campaign against
plastics. If one visits Chennai, one is sure to notice the billboards
behind public buses, announcing various messages against plastics.
While some boards talk about bans on plastics, some warn against
burning of plastic and some call for reducing plastic use and switching
to alternatives. (tlchennai@vsnl.net)
South Africa. Representatives from the government, civil
society and business community recognized the need for urgent action
to reduce, reuse, and recycle waste in order to protect the environment.
The group agreed in the first ever National Waste Summit to stabilize
and reduce by 50% the waste generated by 2012 and achieve Zero Waste
by 2022. (bobbypeek@groundWork.org)
South Africa. The South African Cabinet approved
a regulation prohibiting the use of plastic carry bags for implementation
by January 2003. Shops will not be permitted to supply carry bags
with a thickness of less that 80 micrometers. Violations will result
in a fine of US 10,000 and /or one year in jail on the first offence,
followed by possible imprisonment for up to 10 years on subsequent
convictions. “ We as a nation have to start to recover a higher
percentage of our waste lest we drown in our own garbage,”
explains Environmental Affairs and Tourism Minister Valli Moosa.
(http://www.edie.net/news/Archive/4955.cfm)
USA. In a stunning victory for advocates
of Zero Waste, the California Integrated Waste Management Board
(CIWMB) embraced Zero Waste as one of its seven goals in the Strategic
Plan it adopted on 13 November 2001. The CIWMB will promote a "zero-waste
California" where the public, industry, and government strive
to reduce, reuse, or recycle all municipal solid waste materials
back into nature or the marketplace.
gary@garyliss.com
USA. The Water and Power Auhtority of US
Virgin Islands voted on 15 November 2001 against making financial
commitment to a US $ 180 million Thermoselect plant because of too
many downsides to balance the risks involved. The government agency
that would purchase the power and water did not need the excess
power from the Thermoselect plant, and they could not agree on a
price. (http://www.onepaper.com/stthomasvi/?v=d&s=News:Local&p=45011)
USA. The last commercial medical waste incineration
facility in Oakland, California closed on 10 December 2001 and ceased
its toxic emissions. Located in a low income-community of color,
the controversial Integrated Environmental Systems (IES) incinerator
(now owned by Stericycle Inc.) had been under fire from the community
for years. (www.no-harm.org)
Canada. Bennett Environmental Inc. has submitted
a proposal to construct an incinerator in Kirkland Lake, Ontario
that can treat up to 50,000 kg/hour of hazardous waste (specifically
PCBs). The draft environmental assessment for the proposed project
is available at http://www.bennetenv.com/kirkland.
France. About ten farms in France were ordered
not to sell their produce when officials found out that the level
of dioxin contamination per cow reached 70 pg/g fat. A herd has
a level of contamination 24 times above the "quality"
limit set by the agriculture ministry. The said contamination, the
highest level of dioxin contamination in France was caused by a
domestic waste incineration in Albertville. (pierre@cniid.org)
Guam. The Superior Court of Guam declared
the validity of the controversial waste-to-energy incinerator contract
of Guam Resource Recovery Partners (GRRP) last 6 November 2001.
The court ruling is set to legalize the introduction into the environment
of highly toxic pollutants such as dioxins and furans, which are
unintentional by-products of waste combustion. (bnb@ite.net)
India. The Indian government is contemplating to drop the
plans to seek the extradition of Warren Anderson, the Union Carbide’s
CEO at the time of the infamous Bhopal tragedy, the world’s
worst chemical disaster. (nity68@vsnl.com)
India. Delhi's Lt-Governor Vijai Kapoor has approved in principle
a waste-to-energy plant in Ghazipur based on gasification process.
Considered as Delhi's second experiment with "green electricity,"
the plant is estimated to generate 25 megawatts of power. Total
project cost is Rs 200 crore (over US$43 million) on Build -Operate-Transfer
(BOT) basis. (tldelhi@ndb.vsnl.net.in)
Philippines. Bill filed at the House of Representatives calling
for an amendment of the Clean Air Act, which bans incineration as
a waste disposal option. Some politicians see the introduction of
state-of-the-art incinerator facilities as a magic solution to Metro
Manila's garbage woes .(gaia.sec@surfshop.net.ph)
<
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Belarus. "Dialogue Without Borders”,
a seminar on stopping the burning of obsolete pesticides in cement
kilns, was organized by the International Public Organization Ecosphere
on 16-17 October 2001 as part of the GAIA-assisted "Be Active-Use
Your Rights" campaign in Belarus. Local participants, including
representatives from the health and environment ministries, were
joined by activists from Denmark, Russia and Ukraine. A key output
of the seminar was the adoption of a mechanism for NGO participation
in decision-making process concerning the elimination of obsolete
pesticides in Belarus. Ecosphere has also published a booklet in
Russian entitled "Dioxins: We Have the Right to Know".
Eugeniy Lobanov
e-mail: Lobanow@yahoo.com
France. The fight against the construction of incinerators
in the Oise region in northern France continues. Now that the public
inquiry regarding the proposed project in Villers Saint Paul is
over, Mouvement pour les Droits et le Respect des Générations
Futures (MDRGF) has shifted its focus on promoting credible alternatives
to incineration. Conferences were held to publicize waste reduction
programs in Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, and Italy. The MDRGF
also organized a trip for members of local councils and anti-incineration
groups to Porte d'Alsace to study their waste management system,
which is based on the “polluter pays" principle, maximum
recycling and materials recovery and composting.
François Veillerette
e-mail:courrier@mdrgf.org
Ireland. The Waste Study Group promotes the
Reduce/Reuse/Recycle options for waste management in the Waterford/Kilkenny
region of South East Ireland. It is opposed to any plans to build
an incinerator in the region. At present, Ireland does not have
any commercial incineration and therefore is ideally placed to prove
that the Reduce/Reuse/Recycle options can deliver a sustainable
option to incineration and large landfill dumps. The group has just
finished preparing a comprehensive booklet describing the practical
steps that each member of the public can take to Reduce/Reuse/Recycle,
customized for the locality.
Raymond Mcevoy
e-mail: raymondmcevoy@eircom.net
Kenya. Medical doctors at the Kenyatta National
Hospital have complained against open burning of hospital waste
near their living quarters. In a letter to the hospital's chief
administrative officer, the doctors lamented that the mode of waste
disposal violates the Public Health Act and contradicts the hospital's
mission of providing top quality health services. The doctors urged
the hospital to use safe and environment-friendly waste disposal
method. The Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR-Kenya) plans
to hold an educational meeting to discuss the health consequences
of incinerating medical waste. The PSR will also raise this issue
with the public health officer for immediate action.
Paul Saoke
e-mail: psaoke@healthnet.or.ke
Russia. The "Baikal Environmental Wave"
continues with its campaign against illegal burning of rubbish in
the streets of Irkutsk, which is a priority for the environmental
group. To encourage people to recycle instead of burning their paper
waste, the group from 28 to 30 September 2001 deployed a truck in
a crowded area to receive paper discards, successfully collecting
1.5 tons of recyclable paper during the 3-day trial run. Plans are
now underway to install a special container for taking paper waste
from the general public for recycling. A seminar on the possibilities
of plastic recycling was likewise held on 18 October 2001, involving
teachers and representatives from the government and industry.
Vyacheslav Kudryavtsev
e-mail: norman@baikalwave.eu.org
Mexico. The Mexican Network for Action against Pesticides
(RAPAM) hosted the first Tri-National Citizens' Meeting on Dioxin
on 22 October 2001 in Mexico City. It was a great opportunity for
organizations from all over Mexico to meet each other and share
information on their current battles, and to make contact with international
networks such as the International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN),
Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) and GAIA. Mexico is currently home
to more than 24 medical waste incinerators, as well as many industrial
waste incinerators. As a result of this meeting, the Mexican groups
have agreed to begin informal networking on POPs and incinerators.
The Citizens' Meeting preceded that of the Commission for Environmental
Cooperation, the official body with representation from the Canadian,
US and Mexican environmental authorities that was created as a environmental
side-agreement to the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Fernando Bejarano
e-mail: rapam@prodigy.net.mx
South Korea. A landmark tripartite agreement
on industrial waste incineration was reached on 29 August 2001 involving
the Kwangyang city government, Pohang Iron and Steel Company (POSCO)
and NGO groups. The accord is the fruit of the month-long protest
by civil society to pressurize POSCO to act upon the environmental
pollution caused by the burning of sludge and plastic waste of its
2 incinerators. A key feature of the deal is the implementation
of studies that will examine the state of pollution in Kwangyang
and the safety of POSCO incinerator facilities. The results and
recommendations of these studies will be discussed in an open forum
involving all stakeholders. POSCO has agreed to carry out remedial
measures to address problems that might be uncovered. It will pay
for the cost of the research, while the City government will cover
the costs of organizing the forum.
Hong Su Yol
e-mail: zerowaste@hanmail.net
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RESOURCES
<
back to contents>
REPORT REVIEW
In the September 2001 report Safety
Assessment of Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) Released from PVC
Medical Devices,
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states that
certain populations, particularly newborn males, may be at risk
for adverse health effects due to DEHP exposure. DEHP is widely
used to soften polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics, which are used
in medical settings for IV bags and tubing, blood bags, feeding
tubes, and tubing for dialysis and heart bypass procedures. For
campaign advice, please contact Health Care Without Harm at altamira@igc.org.
CAMPAIGN KITS
“Putting Out the Flames:
Campaigners Guide to Fight Incinerators," published
in October 2001 by Srishti and Toxics Link in India is an attempt
to explain the myth of incineration, provide suggestions for campaigns
against burn technologies and suggest alternative methods for waste
management. The Guide offers practical tips on how to demolish false
arguments that incinerator pushers use to influence policy makers
and the general public. For copies, please write to tldelhi@vsnl.com
or srishtidel@vsnl.com
To inspire groups and communities to go beyond recycling, the GrassRoots
Recycling Network, USA has published a Zero
Waste Kit, which explains the principles and strategies
as well as barriers towards a Zero Waste society. The Kit also contains
information on innovative and successful business, government and
community programs to reduce waste to zero - or darn close. To preview
the Kit, please visit the Network's website at www.grrn.org
"A Citizen's Guide for Zero Waste:
A US and Canadian Perspective" by Paul Connett and
Bill Sheehan, published in October 2001, is an updated and expanded
version of Connett's 1998 essay on "Alternatives to Trash Incineration”.
The booklet describes the Zero Waste vision and expounds the roles
and responsibilities of both communities and industries in ending
the age of wasting. The Guide also contains a listing of Zero Waste
resources such as videos, books, reports and websites. The guide
may be downloaded from the web at www.grrn.org/zerowaste/community.
Greenpeace UK has produced a Guide for local authorities, which
explains how to deal with the mounting national waste crisis without
resorting to unpopular and polluting waste incinerators. The guide,"How
to Comply with the Landfill Directive Without Incineration: A Greenpeace
Blueprint," explains that organising efficient kerbside
collection and composting of kitchen and garden waste is the single
most significant step authorities can take. It also gives examples
of successful schemes in England, Canada and Australia. The report
is available on the web at www.greenpeace.org.uk or by post from
Mark Strutt (e-mail: mark.strutt@uk.greenpeace.org)
World Wildlife Fund has published a multi-colored poster on Persistent
Organic Pollutants (POPs) and wildlife and human health. The large
print message states: "What have these
children inherited from their parents? Instincts. Looks. And Toxic
Chemicals." To get a copy of the poster, contact
Jennifer Snyder, jennifer.snyder@wwfus.org.
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ZERO WASTE KOVALAM:
Crafting A Dream
< back to
contents>
by Manu Gopalan
Zero Waste is a fascinating vision which has captured
the imagination of people across the world grappling with the ever
more gripping problem of 'garbage'. Communities terrorized by a
garbage crisis are organising around the magic pattern of activity
thrown in by Zero Waste. Kovalam is one such.
Kovalam, a chain of beaches in the state of Kerala, southern India,
has been listed by the National Geographic Traveller as one of the
20 must-see destinations of the world. Ironically, 'The Lonely Planet'
has also listed Kovalam as one of the “must-not-see” destinations
of the millennium in the world, because, although the beaches are
beautiful, the mounting garbage is turning people away. But the
people of Kovalam want the tourists to stay. One of the main reasons
highlighted by all for the drop in tourist arrivals is the mounting
garbage problem in Kovalam. Therefore the desire by most in the
tourism business to manage the waste they create, dump and burn
on a day-to-day basis.
The 19th and 20th of November signaled an important period of change
for the community when all concerned got together by the beach to
discuss possibilities for a future without waste. The Zero Waste
Launch skillshare was led by presentations by Dr Paul Connet, the
renowned anti-incineration activist and professor of chemistry at
St. Lawrence University, who inspired the team to look beyond small
hurdles that inevitably creep up and apply the vision of Zero Waste.
He inspired local planners, nurses and doctors too to think out
of the box.
Besides Dr Connet, activists and experts from across India shared
their views. Of the participating organizations were Disha- Calcutta,
Chintan- New Delhi, Goa Foundation, Toxics Link-Chennai, Equations-Bangalore,
CEE-Bangalore, IRTC-Palghat, GAIA, KISS-Kovalam, Kovalam Mahila
Sangam( Womens' group),VD Foundation and other organizations active
in Kovalam. The Kerala Hotel and Restaurant Association, Kerala
Tourism, Thanal and Greenpeace together organized the skillshare.
The Zero Waste team of Thanal and Greenpeace presented their work
of the past nine months to the audience to elicit responses from
them. There were several interesting arguments on the effectiveness
of the ideas and the much needed prioritization. By the end of the
skillshare, significant inroads into implementation were made with
several decisions taken and several more in the chewing the cud
mode.
Points of agreement reached were:
A commitment from all the sectors of Kovalam population towork together
on the issue.
An agreement on “ waste segregation at source.
An agreement on “ an effective ban on plastics, PET bottles
and all disposable plastic products”.
An agreement on training of self-help groups on “ craft out
of waste”.
An agreement to set up a biogas plant and chicken farm to manage
the hotel biodegradable waste.
There was also an understanding that the Government of Kerala will
support the action plan in all ways possible. An added boost to
the campaign came from the State Planning Board, the premier government
agency making the five-year economic plan for the region, when it
adopted “ Zero Waste” in its approach paper to the new
plan.
Manu Gopalan is Toxics Campaigner of Greenpeace India.
E-mail: manu.gopalan@dialb.greenpeace.org
For inquiries, please contact Jayakumar C e-mail: thanal@vsnl.com.
|
|
GAIA: One Year Later
by Ann Leonard and Von Hernandez
BREAKING NEWS
Belgian Study Affirms Incinerator- Cancer-
Link
Based on the Report by The Belgian Platform Environment and Health
BURNING ISSUES
INCINERATION: Wasted Money, Wasted Resources
by Brenda Platt
WAY FORWARD
Alternatives to Medical Waste Incineration
by Dr. Jorge Emmanuel
PUTTING OUT THE FLAMES
Good and Bad News
News from the Regions
Resources
Zero Waste Kovalam: Crafting A Dream
by Manu Gopalan
Co-Editors:
Anne Leonard
Manny Calonzo
Von Hernandez
Assistant Editors:
Nityanand Jayaraman
Writers/ Contributors:
Brenda Platt, Ann Leonard,
Von Hernandez, Dr. Jorge Emmanuel
Manny Calonzo, Manu Gopalan
Layout and Design:
Gigie Cruz
For comments and suggestions, please
e-mail
The GAIA Secretariat
Archive
Volume
1
Issue 1
Issue No. 2
Volume 2
Issue No. 1
Issue No. 2
WSSD
Special Issue
The opinions
and views expressed by the writers and artists do not necessarily
reflect the official views of GAIA.
|
