| ashu |
Posted
on 20-Jan-02 01:31 AM
>Greenpeace detects toxic wastes in Nepal
>
>German multinationals identified as culprits
>(translated from the website of German Television ARD,
www.tagesschau.de)
>Hamburg, 14.01.2002
>Greenpeace has detected German toxic wastes stored in two
>unsecured storage facilities in Nepal, reports the German
>daily “Bild am Sonntag”. A major part of these residues from
>pesticide production originates from multinational companies
>of German origin like Bayer AG and others like Sandoz,
>Monsanto, Shell, Ciba-Geigy. There is no hint so far as to
>who has imported the wastes into Nepal, says the newspaper
>report.
>
>According to “Bild am Sonntag” among the toxic items,
>mercury compounds were found which are banned in Europe and
>the US because of its cancer-causing properties. For example
>Bayer’s products “Folidol E 605” and “Solbar” are rotting
>away in barrels posing a severe danger to drinking water
>supplies for Kathmandu city. Greenpeace had secured the
>toxins in larger barrels and had asked the companies
>concerned to take care of the toxins, the newspaper reports.
>
>A spokesman for Bayer AG had told the newspaper office that
>if indeed it was true that his company’s products were
>identified it would contribute towards its detoxification.
>Questions remain about the origins of the toxic wastes. A
>Greenpeace expert assumes the toxins were brought into Nepal
>under some development aid programmes several years ago.
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