geneva, monday 25 nov 2002
united states pull out of negotiations on
pollution treaty; canada decides to stay
Negotiations on a new international treaty to
increase the public’s right-to-know on
sources of pollution enter the final stages
at a United Nations meeting in Geneva which
began this morning - but the United States
has said it will not participate.
The US had taken part in earlier
discussions on the treaty, but in an
announcement to the assembled delegates
today, the US stated that it would not
formally join negotiations, citing their
“concerns” that the text was not adequately
addressing “essential elements” including
public access to chemical-specific
information concerning transfers of wastes.
The decision comes as a blow to
environmentalists, since the US has a
well-established system of pollution
reporting, the “Toxics Release
Inventory.”
Friends of the Earth Pollution Researcher,
Mary Taylor, speaking for the NGO coalition
European ECO Forum, said:
“This is very disappointing news. The US
departure increases the likelihood that this
new right-to-know law will be a weak
instrument, and unfortunately strengthens the
EU countries’ hand. Issues now at risk
include draft text concerning the public’s
right to know about on-site disposal and
off-site destinations of hazardous
wastes.”
Canada has said it will participate fully
in the negotations, but signalled that
signing the Protocol could not be taken for
granted. As the meeting began, Canada said it
was unhappy with draft text linking pollution
reporting to individual rights to a healthy
environment.
Negotiations will continue throughout this
week.
Background Note:
Delegates are discussing a new protocol
under the 1998 Aarhus “public participation”
Convention, which will require participating
countries to collect and publish information
on quantities of pollutants released from
certain industrial sources and eventually
from diffuse sources such as traffic. The
meeting follows a two-year process involving
countries from Europe, Central Asia, the US
and Canada, as well as representatives from
environmental NGOs, including Friends of the
Earth, and representatives from the chemical
industry (CEFIC).
The information will be compiled in to
“Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers” or
“PRTRs”. Such registers are already used in
the UK and US and are believed to have helped
drive down pollution levels and provided both
the public and authorities with useful
information.
For more information please contact
Friends of the Earth U.K.:
Mary Taylor (in Geneva) (mobile): +44 (0)
7766 71 1952
Media unit (London): +44 (0) 20 7566
1649
|
