Bureaucracy Delays Return of German Waste

["Greenbase" <greenbas@gb.greenpeace.org>]

BUREAUCRACY DELAYS RETURN OF GERMAN WASTE   
   
Beirut, 7 February 1997 - The Greenpeace   
Mediterranean Office today said that "technical and   
bureaucratic" measures are delaying a decision to   
finance the shipments of German plastic waste back   
from Beirut to Germany. The wastes in 36 containers   
have been stored in Beirut port since August last   
year.   
   
A official from the Environment Ministry in Bonn   
yesterday told Greenpeace that the German state of   
Beden-Wuerttemberg has informed the ministry that   
the 36 containers with plastic waste in Beirut should   
be returned, and that the financing should be done by   
Germany's "Solidarity Fund for Re-Exporting   
Waste".   
   
However, the authorities in Baden-Wuerttemberg   
have failed to inform Bonn about the quantity of the   
waste, the costs of the re-export operation and what   
will happen to the waste in Germany. This would be   
done in the coming days, the German official told   
Greenpeace.   
   
The 560 tons of mixed plastic waste originate from a   
company in the city of Philippsburg, Baden-  
Wuerttemberg. This firm and another one which   
exported the waste are broke. According to the   
German law, the "Solidarity Fund for Re-Exporting   
Waste" must therefore pay for shipping back the   
containers from Lebanon. The fund was set up by the   
Association of the German Industry to finance the   
return of German waste illegally dumped in   
developing countries. (1)   
   
The official in Bonn stressed to Greenpeace that   
Germany will eventually return the 36 containers.   
"Our experts have confirmed Lebanese official   
reports that the mixed waste cannot be recycled in   
Lebanon and that it must be returned to Germany. It   
is just a matter of time. We urge the Lebanese to be   
patient," he said.    
   
The Fund's executive board would hold a meeting on   
27 February, and it is expected to officially approve   
financing the re-export operation, the official said.   
   
"Greenpeace is very happy to learn that Germany will   
return the plastic waste soon. It would be a historic   
event and a positive precedent, because it would be   
the first time the German fund finances such an   
operation," said Fouad Hamdan of the Greenpeace   
Mediterranean Office in Beirut.   
   
Last October, Greenpeace helped uncover this waste   
trade scandal. Together with German experts from   
Stuttgart, Greenpeace inspected the containers in   
Beirut last November.    
   
Two containers full of Belgian plastic wastes are also   
waiting at Beirut Port to be returned to sender. The   
Belgian company that exported them last autumn has   
pledged to return them. In a related matter, the issue   
of the 1987 toxic waste from Italy still contaminating   
spots in Shnanir and Uyun al-Siman is also high on   
the agenda of the Lebanese authorities who promised   
to solve this problem soon.   
    
For more information please call Fouad Hamdan,   
Greenpeace Mediterranean campaigner in Beirut,   
++961-3-756429 or ++961-1-785665; or toxic trade   
campaigner Andreas Bernstorff of Greenpeace   
Germany, ++49-172-4533770; or Dr. Mario Damato,   
Excecutive Director Greenpeace Mediterranean in   
Malta, ++356-667167. emails:    
gp.med@cyberia.net.lb   
andreas.bernstorff@green2.greenpeace.org   
greenpeace.mediterranean@green2.greenpeace.org   
   
NOTES:   
1. The 36 containers were exported by the company   
"RC-GMBH Reifenrecycling". It is owned by Bernd   
Bretzing who was jailed under remand in Germany   
last August for illegal dumping of waste in Germany.   
Other involved businessmen are Lebanese national   
Freim Beinoh in Moscow and Mashor Ereiqat, the   
head of the company "International Trade and   
Finance" in the German city of Saulheim. Ereiqat is a   
German national of Jordanian descent.   
   
The first batch of 15 containers were sent via   
Belgium to Lebanon where they arrived on August 2,   
last year. The 21 others were shipped via The   
Netherlands and reached Beirut Port shortly   
afterwards on August 20. The shipment was officially   
declared as plastic raw material for industrial   
production. It was to be purchased and used by the   
Lebanese plastic company "George Freiha and Sons".   
But on August 8, 1996, this company refused the   
shipment when it opened the first the batch of   
containers at Beirut Port and realized that it was   
cheated.   
   
A Greenpeace legal expertise published last   
November proved that the shipment of the 36   
containers was an illegal operation according to   
German and European Union laws. It was also a   
fraudulent operation according to the 1994 Basel   
Convention because the shipping documents lied   
about the big bags in the containers and it took place   
without the consent of Lebanese authorities.