JAPAN USES AID TO EXPORT 'TOXIC' INCINERATION

8 February 2000

BANGKOK/AMSTERDAM -– Japan is using its development aid and lending agencies to aggressively promote the export of polluting incinerators to Thailand despite the closure of incinerators in Japan because of public concern over pollution levels, Greenpeace warned today.

Greenpeace activists today delivered a container of toxic ash from Japanese-built waste incinerators to the Japanese embassy in Bangkok demanding Japan stop exporting polluting technology to Thailand. Samplings of ash from two incinerators in Phuket and Samui islands demonstrate that high levels of toxic heavy metals such as lead and cadmium are being released into the environment.

Greenpeace criticised Japanese aid and lending agencies such as the Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund (OECF) which are funding incinerators abroad while at home mounting public concern over the environmental impacts of incinerators forced some waste burners to close down. A current project proposes to burn Bangkok’s waste in four Japanese-funded incinerators, each with a daily capacity of 1300 tons, at a cost of 20,000 million baht ($US540 million). The amount will be given as a soft-loan to the Thai government for the purchase of Japanese incinerators.

"Japan can’t fool the Thai public by giving incinerators as hand-outs just to expand their markets. Peddling discredited and environmentally polluting technologies such as incineration is tantamount to a toxic invasion", said Tara Buakamsri, Greenpeace Toxic Campaigner in Thailand.

Incinerators are known to release dangerous levels of heavy metals and ultra-toxic chemicals such as dioxins. Pollution monitoring of incinerators is a highly expensive process. Countries, such as the Netherlands, Germany and Japan, which have ambitiously tightened regulations on incinerators are facing monumental costs to monitor and contain the pollution caused by these machines.

Studies have shown that Japanese people carry some of the highest levels of life-threatening chemicals such as dioxins in their bodies as a result of the widespread, but now discouraged practice of incineration.

"It is ironic that after polluting Japan, Japanese incinerator companies supported by the Japanese government are taking their toxic trade to poorer Asian nations like Thailand. Japan should be assisting Thailand to move towards progressive waste reduction, segregation and recycling programmes," said Ayako Sekine, Greenpeace’s Japanese Toxic Campaigner currently in Thailand.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

- Tara Buakamsri, Greenpeace Toxic Campaigner in Thailand, Tel: +66 1 8550013;
- Auaiporn Suthanthonyakorn, Media relations in Thailand, Tel: +66 1 8207006;
- Greenpeace Toxic Campaigner Ayako Sekine in Japanese Tel: +66 1 6126590.

Ko Samui & Phuket Report is available on our website:
www.greenpeace.org/~toxics/reports/phuket.pdf

Pictures and footage will be available from Greenpeace's picture desk website:
www.greenpeace.org/library/picturedesk.html

Follow Greenpeace's Toxic Free Asia Tour on the web:
www.greenpeace.org/~toxics/toxfreeasia/

Greenpeace demands to the Thai and Japanese governments:

(1) Stop Incineration: The Thai Government should place a moratorium on the construction of new incineration projects and develop alternatives to existing plants;

(2) Stop Exporting Dioxin: The Japanese government and its various aid agencies should stop funding incineration projects in Thailand and in other Asian countries.

(3) Support Waste Reduction Community Initiatives.