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Victory for Global Environmental Justice: Formosa Plastics Gives Up! Toxic Waste Dumped on Cambodia to Finally be Treated by Producer In what community and environmental justice activists hail as a precedent setting victory, the Formosa Plastics Group (FPG) of Taiwan has finally come to terms with local residents to process by retort technology, purchased from the United States, 4,400 tonnes of mercury contaminated industrial waste at their corporate site in Jenwu Township in Kaohisung County, Taiwan. The residents will allow the processing to take place in exchange for compensation of NT$15 million (489,000 US $) to Jenwu township which will be used for local infrastructure and to hire experts to monitor FPG's treatment of the waste. In addition, FPG said it would offer a guarantee in the form of a NT$100 million (3,263,000 US $) check made out to the township to ensure that the company finishes the treatment job within eight months without producing any pollution. The demand that FPG take responsibility for its own waste at its corporate site in Taiwan rather than export their problems was called for by environmentalists around the world following FPG's infamous and scandalous export of the waste to the impoverished and war-torn country of Cambodia. The illegal Cambodian dumping led to the deaths of 7 persons. Following that crisis, FPG then attempted to re-export the mercury waste to a dumpsite near the Latino community of Westmorland in Southern California, then to the U.S. Ecology dumpsite in Nevada, next to a dump in Idaho, to a waste disposal facility near a small town in France, a disposal firm in Germany, and once again to Nevada. In every case, citizen action caused the wastes disposal plans or contracts to be rejected, forcing FPG to finally accede to environmentalist demands. FPG is the world;s largest producer of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic. The manufacture of PVC creates numerous hazardous wastes including the most infamous pollutant -- dioxin. "FPG has finally taken a step in the right direction, said Lily Hsueh of the Taiwan Environmental Action Network (TEAN). However, it is critical that we continue to closely monitor them in this process, work to ensure that they continually reduce their hazardous waste, and further to press them to commit to ceasing altogether the manufacture of PVC." "Greenaction will continue to watch Formosa Plastics and other polluters to help protect communities from becoming international dumping grounds for waste that threatens public health and the environment," said Bradley Angel, Executive Director of Greenaction. "This is a big victory for environmental justice, but we remain vigilant and determined to stop environmental injustices wherever they occur." See Also
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Chronology of Formosa Plastics Group Dumping Scandal November 20, 1998: Formosa Plastics Group (FPG), frustrated at not getting permission to dump ships 3,000 tonnes of mercury laced toxic industrial waste in a local landfill, pays a broker to ship the waste off to Cambodia without any permit for such export. November 30, 1998: The waste arrives at Sihanoukville port in Cambodia in large sacks labeled polyester chip. The shipping papers call the waste "cement cake". December 2, 1998: The Kaohsiung branch of the Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration discovers that the waste is missing. December 4, 1998: The waste is trucked and the large bags are dumped on unused land near Sihanoukville. Villagers immediately begin scavenging the plastic bags using them for mats and tarpaulins. December 19, 1998: First reports appear on two deaths associated with those handling the waste and public rioting ensues. One was a worker that helped unload the ship hold carrying the waste. The second was a youth that slept on one of the mats. Peaceful Protests against the dumping take place. December 20, 1998: Thousands of residents and dockworkers attacked customs offices and the offices of the economic police in Cambodia's main seaport in protest. One individual was killed in the rioting when he fell from an upper story in the ransacked building. 7 persons are arrested. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen demanded that the 3,000 tonnes of industrial waste be sent back home immediately. He appealed for help from the United Nations, World Health Organization and relevant environmental agencies in resolving the matter. The head of the local importing company is arrested by Cambodian authorities. December 21, 1998: Rumors of the combined impacts of the toxicity and falling rains, creates a mass panic and exodus as 10,000 people flee Sihanoukville leaving the town completely empty. 4 persons die in traffic accidents as a result of the panic. 3 more persons are arrested for rioting including 2 human rights workers that were monitoring the protest. December 22, 1998: Taipei officials urged Phnom Penh to mount an inquiry, calling it ''irrational'' to blame Taiwan without sufficient evidence. Formosa Plastics Group stated that the waste was not hazardous and could legally be land filled in Taiwan. The Cambodian Army is called in to shovel all of the waste and contaminated soil into plastic lined used drums. Many of the workers remove their protective clothing due to hot weather. . December 24, 1998: First sample results come in from Singapore and show 675 parts per million (ppm) of mercury. A mercury expert called in by the World Health Organization (WHO) from the Minimata Institute called the levels very high. He said the waste posed a long-term health hazard and should be removed. December 28, 1998: The Taiwan government offers to assist Cambodia in the inquiry into the dumping scandal and urged FPG to return the waste. January 1, 1999: FPG agrees to return the waste but does not agree to pay compensation. January 3, 1999: FPG announces that they will ship the waste to the United States or Europe for disposal. January 15-19, 1999: Representatives of BAN arrive in Cambodia, visit the site, meet with high level officials and together with Legal Aid of Cambodia and the NGO Forum on Cambodia, hold a press conference demanding return of the wastes, adequate testing, and full ratification of international waste trade ban. They also reveal newly acquired documents showing mercury levels in the waste as high as 10,971 ppm (over 1%). February 15, 1999: Three Cambodian customs officials were indicted for their involvement in importing the toxic waste. February 25, 1999: Cambodia signs agreement with FPG, that FPG would take the responsibility for repacking, sites cleanup and transportation of the waste out of Cambodia. They agreed to remove the toxic waste from Sihanoukville within 60 days or be fined 1,000 U.S. dollars a day for the first 15 days beyond the 60day deadline. No compensation was to be paid to victims without medical proof agreed by both sides. March 12, 1999: FPG repackages the waste and signs a deal with US disposal firm Safety-Kleen to dispose of the waste in a California toxic waste dump near the Latino community of Westmoreland. March 25, 1999: Environmental groups including Greenaction, California Communities Against Toxics, Basel Action Network and others around the world join in denouncing the planned import of the toxic waste into California. Westmorland residents in uproar against plan. March 30, 1999: The EPA then denies Safety-Kleen a permit to import the waste. And the shipment of waste for California is rerouted back to Taiwan. Coalition wins victory. April 9, 1999: The FPG waste arrives back in Taiwan and is stored in its sea-going containers at Kaohsiung port. FPG is given a temporary permit to hold the waste. They subsequently receive 5 extensions to this permit while they attempt to re-export the waste to other communities. May 8, 1999: A plan to ship the waste to a dumpsite in Nevada state is revealed to be contemplated by US firm US Ecology near Beatty, Nevada. Greenaction alerts Nevada communities, Indian Tribes, governmental officials and media. Plan defeated! June 9, 1999: BAN and the Washington Toxics Coalition reveal and denounce a plan to ship the waste to an Idaho Envirosafe dump via Puget Sound area Washington ports. They call on the EPA to deny the import permit. June 17, 1999: A Cambodia court convicted 2 men of illegally importing the FPG waste. They are sentenced to 5 years in jail. Two more Taiwanese men are convicted in absentia to the same penalty. July 8, 1999: Two human rights workers go on trial in Cambodia. for their alleged involvement in the protests and riots following the FPG waste importation. The detention and trial is condemned by international human rights organizations. July 21, 1999: Human rights workers arrested and held without bail in January are finally aquitted and released. July 22, 1999: Coalition of labor and environmental groups halt shipment of waste to Envirosafe dumpsite in Idaho via the port of Tacoma. Longshoremen get involved in campaign to stop the waste import. Just as shipment of waste is about to be loaded onto a ship to take it to Tacoma, longshoremen place phone call to their counterparts in Taiwan and the waste is offloaded. July 23, 1999: Envirosafe announces they are no longer seeking to import the FPG waste into Idaho. September 19, 1999: Residents and officials of the Jenwu township protest strongly against the FPG plan to import the waste to the FPG factory nearby. September 21, 1999: FPG reveals that they are negotiating with France to accept the mercury contaminated waste. They stated that an import permit by France had already been granted and that money had already been exchanged. November 8, 1999: France says no. The local French community, angered by a permit granted by government authorities to import toxic waste without informing their advisory committee are successful in getting France to reverse its decision to allow the importation. FPG next tries to export to BRZ company in Germany. Government then denies the permit. January 23, 2000: FPG finally announces they will keep the waste at home. Later they were discovered to still be negotiating with US and European firms to export it. March 3, 2000: It is discovered that in December of 1999, FPG sent 32 containers of the crushed barrels and protective clothing used in the clean-up to the AVR incinerator in Rotterdam. Environmentalists in Netherlands and in Taiwan are furious that they had not been informed by authorities. March 10, 2000: Greenaction discovers and denounces renewed plans by FPG and US Ecology to dispose of the waste in Nevada, this time by bringing the waste in through the seldom used port of Coos Bay, Oregon to avoid protests. Greenaction vows to meet shipment at port, highways and dump with direct action. March 20, 2000: Oregon governor denounces the plan to use Oregon ports to transfer Asian toxic waste to Nevada. Following another eruption of adverse public reaction, U.S. Ecology finally withdraws its most recent plans. June 4, 2000: FPG announces final? settlement with Jenwu township and compensate residents around 500,000 dollars US to accept that the waste will be processed near their community. |