Greenpeace Welcomes Lebanese New Waste Import Ban

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

GREENPEACE WELCOMES LEBANESE NEW WASTE IMPORT BAN 

Amsterdam / Beirut, 12 February 1997 - Greenpeace
welcomedtoday thedecision of the Lebanese environment ministry
to adopt newlegislationthat bans the import of all hazardous
waste into Lebanon.The need forthis new legislation is
prompted by recent attempts to turnLebanoninto an
international dumpsite, as showed by the recentillegalshipment
of contaminated plastic waste from Germany.

 The ministerial decision which became effective last week(1), 
bansall waste imports for final disposal or for incineration
andallhazardous waste imports bound for recycling. Traders
mustprovideofficials documents from the country of origin
allowing theexport ofnon-hazardous waste and proving that
wastes are notcontaminated byany radioactive, chemical or
biological substances.

 As traders will also have to prove that the imported non-
hazardouswastes are suitable for recycling and that the
adequaterecyclingtechnologies are available in Lebanon, the
import of wastes indisguise of recovery will also be outlawed.

 The adoption of strong waste import legislation by
Lebanonfollows theadoption last month of similarly strict
waste exportlegislation bythe European Union (2). With this
new legislation in place,Lebanonhas followed its commitments
to the 1994 Basel Convention(theinternational convention on
the transboundary movement ofhazardouswastes), that Lebanon
ratified last year.

 "Lebanon should communicate the new legislation globally
andratifythe 1995 Basel Ban amendment accordingly," said
GreenpeaceMediterranean campaigner Fouad Hamdan in Beirut.
"This is agreatopportunity for Lebanon to become the first
developingnation toratify the Basel Ban, a very effective
instrument to furthercleanproduction and support the
detoxification of our planet ",Hamdan said(3).

 The international community and particularly the
lessindustrializedworld decided to put an end to the trend of
using poorcountries as adumpsite for hazardous wastes from the
rich countries. InSeptember1995, under the auspices of the
United Nations BaselConvention, themember states decided to
ban all hazardous waste exportsfrom the OECD(Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development)countries byJanuary 1st,
1998.  Last month the European Union (EU)adopted ahazardous
waste export ban legislation that will also allowthe EU
toratify the Basel Ban.

 Greenpeace has been campaigning in Lebanon against theimport
of toxicwaste since 1994. The international
environmentalorganization exposedthat toxic waste imported
from Italy in 1987 was stilldumped in manyareas (4), and
helped to uncover the recent illegal shipmentofcontaminated
plastic waste from Germany. end-------------------------------
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 For more information:- Fouad Hamdan, Lebanon Campaigner of
GreenpeaceMediterranean,Beirut, ++961-3-756429 or
++961-1-785665; e-mail:gp.med@cyberia.net.lb - Axel Singhofen,
Greenpeace EuropeanUnit,Brussels, ++32-2- 2801400; e-
mail:axel.singhofen@green2.greenpeace.org -  Luisa
Colasimone,GreenpeaceInternational Press Desk, Amsterdam, ++31
20 52 49 546

 Notes: 1. The "ministerial decision" was passed by
LebaneseEnvironmentMinister Akram Shouhayeb on December 17,
1996. It becamepublic onlylast week when it was published in
the Official Journal.

 2. On 20 January 1997, the EU amended its waste
shipmentregulation259/93 so that shipments of hazardous waste
for recovery toallnon-OECD countries have to end by December
31, 1997.

 3. After months of confrontation with Lebanese
authorities,formerEnvironment Minister Pierre Pharaon
cooperated withGreenpeace, and 77tons of waste and
contaminated soil were collected andshipped toEurope in April
1996. The waste was part of the illegalshipment sentfrom Italy
to Lebanon in 1987.  Pharaon's successor,Minister Shuhayebhas
promised Greenpeace that he would see to it that thethree
lastknown spots contaminated by the toxic waste from Italy -
twoin thequarry of Shnanir and one in Uyun al-Siman - will
bedecontaminatedsoon.

 4. To ratify the Basel Ban, the Beirut government need
todraft a"legal instrument of deposit" and submit it to the
BaselSecretariatat the United Nations in New York as an
instrument ofratification.