Customs officials said the second batch of
containers was misdeclared as recycled plastics instead of household waste.
They warned that the Canadian trash poses health and environmental risks.
Not surpisingly, several environmental
groups have expressed utter disgust over this big stink from far-away Canada.
EcoWaste Coalition says it expects
"nothing less than an open and transparent investigation on this matter,
the prosecution of the offenders and the immediate return of the botched
garbage consignments to Canada."
Greenpeace echoed this demand, saying that
"Canada must do the right thing and take back all of these illegal
shipments immediately."
Yet another environmental watchdog, BAN
Toxics, lamented that the garbage shipment shows "Canada's callous
disregard for international law."
The Basel Convention signed by both Canada
and the Philippines provides that household waste should be strictly
controlled and cannot be exported to any country without prior notification and
consent.
Given this, Canada should take back the
waste and file criminal charges against the exporter.
What’s strange is that even as Canada was
roundly condemned for its export of garbage to the Philippines during the 12th
Conference of the Parties of the Basel Convention in Geneva just recently, it
insists it is under no obligation to take it back as it is a private matter
between the exporter and the importer, or a prvate transaction over which it
cannot intervene.
But one thing is is clear: The Canadian
government is openly violating an international treaty which it signed. Now
what are we going to do about it?
* * *
Image by https://www.change.org
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