India: The West's Toxic Dump

[Guest guest]

Keerthi Reddy

India: Dumping Ground of the Millenium?

 

Most Indians are well aware of the fact that their country is on the

brink of environmental disaster as pollution, lack of waste disposal

infrastructure, rapid industrialization and the ever burgeoning

paucity of space combine together in a vicious circle that has the

country hurtling towards ruination. But many Indians are provided

woefully inadequate information about an even more sinister and

deadly threat that poses a vivid and real danger to their lives and

the lives of their future generations. The generally shrill Indian

media is shockingly muted and understated when it comes to describing

an environmental danger that is bringing India alarmingly close to

the threshold of ecological disaster. That threat stems from the role

of nations such as the USA, Australia, European Union, Canada and the

Arab States in treating India as the dumping ground for all forms,

and manner of extremely hazardous toxic waste.

 

The Indian Ministry of Environment's is the first and foremost

culprit which must bear the blame for having transformed India over

the years into the world's biggest toxic waste dump. Through their

inaction and attempts to dilute the Supreme Court order by seeking

entry of selected hazardous wastes, the government of India has

brought India and many of its people to the brink of environmental

disaster. And this isn't a new phenomenon either, the practice of

dumping illegal and hazardous materials in India, has been happening

since the 1970's. Sad to say, the practice still continues even as

the year 2001 has come along, a situation which highlights the

mockery of the ban on toxic waste imports which was imposed by the

Indian Supreme Court in 1997. This article lists some of the most

recent incidences of this horrifying new reality and explores some of

the most troubling consequences.

 

Background:

According to Greenpeace more than 100,000 tons of potentially toxic

waste entered India in 1998-1999. Greenpeace has documented imports

of more than 100,887 tons of hazardous and potentially hazardous

wastes into India between 1998-1999. These include zinc ash and

residues, used batteries, brass dross, copper cables--possibly coated

with PVC, and wastes of toxic metals like lead, chromium, cadmium and

thallium. And this quantity is just the veritable tip of the iceberg,

it would seem, for these figures do not take into account the import

of deadly toxins like asbestos, mercury or recycled plastic resins.

 

The culprits besides the Government of India itself, are several

countries, including OECD states like Germany, USA, Australia,

Denmark, the Netherlands, UK, Belgium, Canada, Norway and the Arab

States.

 

In 1996 Australia alone exported more than 8,500 tons of hazardous

metal wastes and 1.3 million hazardous scrap batteries to non-OECD

countries in Asia, the most popular of which was India, while the

Philippines, China and Indonesia are also used as dumping grounds.

But it is the United States which can claim the dubious distinction

of being the leading exporter of hazardous substances to India.

 

Crime: Illegal export of hazardous waste oil

Culprit: United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iran

Description: 168 containers of waste oil were illegally imported via

the Nhava Sheva container terminal near Mumbai. The oil was imported

after being invoiced as "furnace oil" when in fact it was highly

toxic recycled oil waste. Samples of the consignments were collected

and sent to the Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehradun, to verify

their toxicity. The Arab importers of the consignments instead of

admitting their wrongdoing filed a suit before the Bombay High Court

demanding the release of the goods. The Mumbai customs authorities

have seized the containers and are investigating the antecedents of

the importers in India and the exporters of the contraband in the

Middle East, where the shipments originated. According to customs

officials the imports were part of 16 consignments from the Middle

East particularly the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iran.

 

The import of waste oils into India is prohibited by a May 1997

Supreme Court order. In November 1997, Greenpeace had exposed a

stockpile of illegally imported toxic wastes, including 28 containers

of waste oil, lying in the Tughlaqabad Inland Container Depot near

Delhi. Because many of the exporters and Indian importers were

untraceable, the Supreme Court permitted the hazardous wastes to be

auctioned on condition that mechanisms would be put in place to

prevent any further imports.

 

Effects: Waste oil contains cancer-causing chemicals and can

contaminate the environment in such a way that the poison travels

through the food chain affecting various living organisms, including

humans. These oils contain mixtures of hydrocarbons and water,

emulsions and other toxic substances as they are subjected to

different process and several chemicals are extracted. However, the

entire quantity is never fully reused and hazardous byproducts are

generated.

 

Crime: Export of used and toxic mercury to India

Culprit: United States of America

Description: An118-tonne stockpile of highly toxic used mercury was

exported to India under a veil of secrecy. A Maine-based chemical

factory, HoltraChem, sold it to an Illinois-based trader, DF

Goldsmith and Metal Corporation, which then decided to send the

mercury to India as it was unable to find a taker in the United

States. Maine, the US state where the mercury originated, did not

want it. The state does not have storage facilities for such a toxic

substance. After protests by NGOs in Maine, the governor specifically

asked the US government to stop its export to India. He even

suggested that the US defense department take over the cargo and add

it to its stockpile. But obviously this plea fell on deaf ears.

 

Effects: Mercury, the only liquid among metals, is a deadly nerve

poison and is known to be a global pollutant as it carried all over

the world by wind and rain. The metal does not break down and

accumulates in the fat of animals and keeps on moving up the food

chain. Exposure to mercury could potentially inflict irreparable

damage to the human brain, spinal cord, kidneys and liver. A recent

warning by the National Research Council of the National Academy of

Sciences states that 60,000 babies per year in the US are at a risk

of brain damage as their mothers have eaten mercury contaminated

food. With such findings, Boston, San Francisco and New Hampshire

have even banned mercury thermometers. US hospitals have started

outlawing mercury thermometers. In September 2000, a number of

retailers and manufacturers announced that they will end the sale and

manufacture of mercury based thermometers.

 

Crime: Export of defective and dangerous Junk Steel and Tin Plates

Culprit: European Union, United States of America, Australia

Description: Close to 90 per cent of the tin plates imported to India

are comprised of seconds and defectives. A part of these consignments

are even categorized as "tin plate waste.'' These defective items

formed 71 per cent of the total import of cold rolled steel coils in

1999-00. Similarly the import of defective hot rolled coils has risen

sharply from 1.1 lakh tons for the year, 1998-99, to over 1.2 lakh

tons in the first six months of 1999 alone. The truth is that

defectives and seconds are not even mentioned in the WTO list. In the

case of regular steel goods such as hot rolled coils, even founding

members of the WTO, such as the USA, have higher tariff barriers than

India.

 

Effects: The import of these defective goods has the potential of

being a health hazard since tin plates are widely used in the

manufacture of containers for baby food and edible oils. Defective

tin plates are more easily prone to rust and corrosion as a result of

which it is dangerous to pack food items in them. It is for this

reason that the sale of such goods is not allowed in the western

countries. According to industry sources, the damage being done is

three-fold. The flood of cheap imports depresses prices for the

domestic industry which is just showing signs of recovery. In

addition, the defective items threaten Indian consumers. There

imported defective cold rolled steel coils are being used in the

manufacture of refrigerators, automobiles, auto components and

electrical goods. Consumer goods using these defective components

face an increased risk of exposure to short-circuits, electrical

fires and leakage of toxins such as inert gases and gasoline.

 

Crime: Export of deadly carcinogen asbestos

Culprit: Canada

Description: The asbestos industry in India is spread over in about

15 states - nearly 60 per cent of these industries are in operation.

India imports raw asbestos worth around Rs 40-50 crore annually. The

annual turnover of the industry is estimated to be around Rs 800

crore and it generates direct and indirect employment for more

than100,000 workers who are affected by the element. Seventy per cent

of asbestos is imported from Canada. In Canada, mining is done in a

highly mechanized way. These are then sent to India for final

finishing. The finished products are packaged and sent abroad with

signs saying that it is a hazardous product. But when the raw

material is sent to India, no precautions are taken. The global trend

has been to either restrict or ban its use, but the Canadian

government continues to resist the move to ban asbestos. It exports

asbestos to primarily developing countries such as India. Seven of

Canada's top markets are in developing countries.

 

Effects: Between 1967-1997, there were 171,500 cancer deaths from

asbestos fibers in USA. In western Europe, according to some

estimates, it has been responsible for half-a-million cancer victims.

Worse, in the next 30 years, it could claim another 1 million lives

mostly in the developing world, according to a study conducted by USA

Today. Exposure to asbestos particles can lead to many diseases. Some

diseases are malignant or cancerous, such as mesothelioma and lung

cancer. Others are non-malignant, such as asbestosis, pleural

plaques, diffuse pleural fibrosis, and benign pleural effusions.

 

The three main diseases are asbestosis, peural mesothelioma and

peritoneal mesothelioma. Asbestosis affects both lungs (it is

bilateral) and, although it is mainly in the lower fields of the

lungs, it is usually widespread (diffuse). There is no cure or

effective treatment for asbestosis. People with asbestosis are also

at high risk of developing lung cancer or mesothelioma. Peural

Mesothelioma is a cancer of the thin membrane enclosing in the lungs,

a rare form of cancer that is not associated with smoking. In cases

of Peritoneal mesothelioma a thin membrane of mesothelial cells known

as the peritoneum envelops many abdominal organs. This is a tumor of

this membrane. This can develop many years after exposure and

accounts for about one-fifth of all mesotheliomas. There is no known

cure for peritoneal mesothelioma. Most cases of mesotheliomas are

fatal.

 

Crime: Dumping and production of toxic used plastic

Culprit: United Sates of America

Description: Pepsi Co is involved in both producing and disposing of

plastic waste in India. Under Pepsi's two-part scheme, plastic for

single-use disposal bottles is manufactured in India and exported to

the United States and Europe, while the toxic by-products of the

plastic production process stay in India. Used plastic bottles are

then returned from these countries to poison India's people and

environment again. India bears the burden of environmental and health

impacts from plastic production and plastic waste, while consumers in

industrialized countries continue using and disposing of massive

quantities of unsustainable and unnecessary beverage packaging

without absorbing the true costs - financial, health and

environmental. In short, India gets shafted at both ends, while

industrialized country consumers receive all the benefits. Activists

first learned of Pepsi's waste exports to India through U.S. Customs

Department Data. Greenpeace researchers discovered records listing

Pepsi as the exporter of about 4,500 tons of plastic scrap in 23

shipments during 1993.

 

The U.S. Customs records indicated that all of the waste exports were

destined for the Southern Indian City of Madras. All of the shipments

left from the U.S. West Coast: eight shipments from San Francisco,

two shipments from Long Beach, 10 from Los Angeles, and three from

Oakland. The most frequently used shipping lines for these waste

shipments were OOCL and Presidential. Much of the waste was dumped at

the site of a factory owned by Futura Industries in Tiruvallur,

outside of Madras. Pepsi officials in the United States acknowledge

the waste is exported to India, but claim it is all recycled. Futura

officials also say the waste is imported, but they admit that much of

it is not actually recycled. It is estimated that 60 to 70 percent of

the waste can be processed, but the rest is either too contaminated

with residual materials or other garbage that arrives mixed in with

the shipment, or is the wrong type of plastic.

 

Workers in these factories are provided no protective clothing guard

against painful hot-water washing, inhaling fumes or other exposure

to contaminated plastics.

 

Effects: The major chemicals used to make plastic resins pose serious

risks to public health and safety. Many of the chemicals used in

large volumes to produce plastics are highly toxic. Some chemicals,

like benzene and vinyl chloride, are known to cause cancer in humans;

many tend to be gases and liquid hydrocarbons which readily vaporize

and pollute the air. Many are flammable and explosive. Even the

plastic resins themselves are flammable and have contributed to

numerous chemical accidents. The production of plastic emits

substantial amounts of toxic chemicals (eg. ethylene oxide, benzene

and xylenes) to air and water. Many of the toxic chemicals released

in plastic production can cause cancer and birth defects and damage

the nervous system, blood, kidneys and immune systems. These

chemicals can also cause serious damage to ecosystems. Some of the

harmful effects of plastic recycling, include skin and respiratory

problems resulting from exposure to or inhalation of toxic fumes,

especially hydrocarbons, and residues released during recycling

processes.

 

The people and the environment of India are as worthy of protection

as the people and environment of industrialized nations which have

banned or restricted the usage of these hazardous and highly toxic

materials. It appears that India with its large coastline, lax laws

and obliging corrupt bureaucrats has become a dumping yard where

industrialized countries can offload poisonous wastes in the guise of

recycling of uncontaminated or non-hazardous wastes. The countries

which offload their wastes on India do so because disposal in their

own countries is extremely expensive and poses a severe threat to

their own environments.

 

How long will the people of India continue to willingly submit to the

toxic imperialism of the West?

 

Even as your read this article, the billion dollar ship- breaking

business continues in full swing at Alang port on the west coast

state of Gujarat. At least one Indian worker dies every day at Alang

alone due to mishaps and occupation-related ailments primarily

because the worker has not even a shred of basic protection such as

gloves or hard hats while he/she handles poisonous materials. On any

given day, the workers at Alang and other ports of India are exposed

to such hazardous materials as asbestos, poly chlorinated biphenyls

(pcb), lead, toxic sludge, etc. Given that example, one can hardly

imagine what grim toll this horrifying situation is effecting on the

most vulnerable parts of Indian society.

 

If the government of India makes one new year's resolution in 2001,

let it be its determined pledge to ban the dumping of all toxic and

dangerous materials to India's shores. Otherwise we will have no

country left to give to our future generations.