Welcome to the Basel Action Network – BAN
e-Stewards – Do the Right Thing: Use ONLY e-Stewards - Responsible Recyclers for your Computer! – Find a Responsible e-Cycler!
Watch: The Digital Dump – View the Trailer Online Now! – Order the Film!
 
Listen: NPR and BBC on the Global Waste Trade
Marketplace: Our e-waste comes back to haunt us -- Website -- New!
Following in BAN's footsteps in Nigeria -- E-waste Dumping (featuring BAN)
Shipbreaking in India -- The Case of the Blue Lady (featuring BAN)
Link to the Series with Texts: Dirty Business
 
BAN in The New York Times – The Afterlife of Cellphones – Read the Article Online
BAN featured in National Geographic Magazine – High-Tech Trash: Will your discarded TV end up in a ditch in Ghana? – Read the Article Online
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  TOP STORY  
 
House of Representatives Considers Resolution to Ban the Export of Toxic E-Waste to Developing Nations
7-31-08
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Call for Co-Sponsors in Washington State

31 July 2008 (Washington, DC, Seattle, WA.) - The Basel Action Network and the Electronics TakeBack Coalition applauded U.S. Representative Gene Green (D-TX), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials, for introducing a congressional resolution today (H.Res. 1395) that calls for the U.S. to join other nations around the world that have banned the export of toxic e-waste to developing countries. This resolution could be the precursor for future legislation.

Read the Press Release - 7-31-08
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Copy of House Resolution 1395:
Expressing concern over the current Federal policy that allows the exportation of toxic electronic waste to developing nations - 7-31-08

U.S. Congressman Gene Green, Press Release:
Green's House resolution opposes toxic e-waste exports - 7-31-08
 
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Toxic Wastes in JPEPA a Real Threat
8-19-08
 
Green Groups Call on Senate Not to Ignore Environmental Issues

19 August 2008 (Quezon City) - “The threat posed by toxic wastes in the JPEPA is very real for Filipinos. It behooves our Senators to address this threat and not pretend that it is not there,” stated Marie Marciano, President of Mother Earth Foundation and a member of the multi-sectoral movement called the Magkaisa Junk JPEPA Coalition (MJJC) that held a creative protest in front of the Senate today.

Read the Press Release - 8-19-08

Japanese Translation of the press release

Photo by GAIA
 
 
Press Releases:
MAR HIT ON JPEPA CONSTITUTIONALITY - 8-12-08
Coffin, mourners march to Senate - 8-4-08
NO FOOD, NO JOBS, NO FUTURE with JPEPA - 4-21-08
Senate Urge to Uphold People's Interest vs JPEPA - 4-16-08
Citizen's Coalition Vows to Escalate Action against JPEPA - 4-10-08

Additional Press:
Junk JPEPA, Appeal Bishops - 8-4-08
Santiago eases phantom fear of waste from Japan - 5-9-08
'Fixing' flawed JPEPA - 5-8-08
Japanese condemn JPEPA too! - 4-24-08

Video:
QTV: Group holds protest rally vs JPEPA - 5-5-08
 
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United Nations Waste Treaty Postpones Long Awaited Toxic Waste Dumping Ban
6-27-08
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27 June 2008 (Bali, Indonesia.) - The week-long 9th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention ended today with little progress in breaking the deadlock that is preventing a global toxic waste dumping ban from entering the force of international law. An effort promoted by Japan, Canada, New Zealand and India to require the amendment to gather 128 ratifications, instead of 62 of those that agreed to it in 1995, met a vigorous rejection led by many African and Arab countries that seek the earliest entry into force possible.

Read the Press Release - 6-27-08
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Speech of Mr. Jim Puckett (Basel Action Network) - World Forum on Waste Management for Human Health and Livelihood - 6-26-08

BAN Briefing Papers (Updated June 2008):
#1: The Basel Ban: A Triumph for Global Environmental Justice
#2: The US Must Ratify the Entire Basel Convention (or not at all)
#3: Annex VII Expansion? – Say 'No' to Attempts to Undo the Basel Ban
#4: The Basel Ban Amendment: Entry Into Force = Now!
#5: UN Failure: IMO Ship Scrap Treaty Legalizes Toxic Ship Dumping
#6: Package Deal: Four Treaties to Fight Pollution
#7: Hazardous Waste Recycling: No Justification for Toxic Trade
#8: Running From Basel: How the Convention is Deliberately Undermined
#9: The 3R Initiative: A Mask for Toxic Trade?
#10: Preventing the Digital Dump: Ending "Re-use Abuse"
#11: Building Toxic Waste Colonies: Japan’s Economic Partnership Agreement

BAN Paper Distributed at COP9:
Basel Convention Ban Amendment – Entry into Force Country Analysis

Additional Papers Distributed at COP9:
Summary of NGO Comments on the Kobe 3R Action Plan of the G8
The NGO Platform's Green Ship Recycling Standard – Draft 2

Additional Press:
Toxic waste export harder to control, despite Basel Convention - 7-1-08
Fail to agree on banning toxic waste exports at UN conference - 6-27-08
 
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U.S. Government OK's Illegal Trafficking in Hazardous Electronic Waste
6-23-08
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New "Responsible Recycling" Standard Slammed

23 June 2008 (Seattle/Bali, Indonesia) - On the opening day of the 9th Conference of Parties to the Basel Convention, taking place in Bali, Indonesia, the Basel Action Network (BAN) today slammed the US Environmental Protection Agency for sponsoring and funding the development of a U.S. e-waste recycling standard that knowingly allows US "recyclers" to continue to export some lead-tin soldered circuit boards to countries that are likely to forbid their importation from the US.

Read the Press Release - 6-23-08
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BAN Press Release (International Version):
U.S. Government OK's Illegal Trafficking in Hazardous Electronic Waste - 6-23-08

BAN Press Release (US Version):
EPA's Electronic Waste Recycling Standard Denounced for Allowing Global Toxic Dumping - 6-23-08

BAN R2 Standard Critique:
EPA's "Responsible Recycling" Standards Won't Stop e-Waste Dumping
 
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Environmental Victory for Proper Ship Scrapping!
5-16-08
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Finally Decontaminated, the "Otapan" leaves Amsterdam for Turkey

16 May 2008 (Amsterdam, Netherlands) - Environmentalists toasted a major victory today as the saga of the controversial ship Otapan finally appears to be coming to a happy ending as it sailed Thursday night cleaned and decontaminated from Amsterdam to the Turkish shipbreaking yards of Aliaga, Turkey near Izmir.

Read the Press Release - 5-16-08

The Otapan Principles - 5-12-08
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A warning for those recycling electronics
4-18-08
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Concerns are raised about where junk taken to free events ends up

18 April 2008 - Green-minded consumers beware. Free electronics collection events touted as planet friendly aren't always as ecologically sound as they seem, says a watchdog group focused on preventing the export of dangerous e-waste.

Read the news article - 4-18-08
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Additional Press:
The 'green' way to dump electronic junk - 4-21-08
Recycle That Computer Hidden in Your Closet - 4-20-08

NPR News Story on 1-800-GOT-JUNK?: Click Here to listen

BAN Press Releases:
Beware Free Electronic Waste Collection Events 'For the Environment' – Activists Voice Concern over 1-800-GOT-JUNK? April 19 Event - 4-15-08
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EPA Sues US Ship Broker for Illegal Export but Allows 'Toxic Timebomb' to Sail Away
3-20-08
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SS Oceanic Reported to be near Saipan

20 March 2008 (Saipan/Seattle) - Following a tip from the Basel Action Network (BAN) and Save the Classic Liners Campaign, the US Environmental Protection Agency has filed suit against a well known "cashbuyer” company that routinely buys ships from all over the world and sends them to the notorious breaking beaches of Bangladesh, Pakistan and India.

Read the Press Release - 3-20-08
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Global Marketing Systems, Inc. Answer to EPA Complaint - 4-30-08
Global Shipping LLC Answer to EPA Complaint - 4-30-08

EPA Press Release:
U.S. EPA files complaint against ship brokers for violations of Toxic Substances Control Act - 3-18-08

EPA Complaint: www.ban.org/library/Oceanic_complaint.pdf
EPA Cover Letter: www.ban.org/library/Oceanic_cover letter.pdf

Waste Stream Analysis for SS Independence, conducted by ship remediation expert Mr. Werner F. Hoyt - 2-14-08

BAN Press Releases:
Fugitive Toxic Ocean Liner Now Believed to be Nearing Guam – Mariners are Asked to Report Whereabouts and to Avoid Selling Ship Fuel - 3-6-08

EPA called on to Stop Illegal Departure of Toxic Ocean Liner – Historic SS Independence loaded with PCBs and asbestos to be scrapped - 2-20-08

Environmentalists Denounce Illegal Departure of Toxic Ship from San Francisco –
SS Independence with PCBs and Asbestos Slipped Away in the Fog
- 2-12-08

Additional Press:
The problem with ship scrapyards isn't what you think - 6-12-08
Global Marketing Systems responds to EPA investigation - 5-2-08
EPA alleges Md. firm illegally exported toxic ship for recycling - 3-25-08
Independence sails into a new set of problems - 3-21-08
Aged ships a toxic export - 3-19-08
Ocean Liner's Final Voyage to Asia under Scrutiny - 2-29-08
Last U.S. ocean liner heads into the unknown - 2-9-08
 
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Beware Electronics "Recyclers" that Don't Recycle
1-7-08
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Consumers Warned of e-Waste Recyclers that Ship Old TVs or Computers to Developing Countries -- Urged to Use "e-Stewards"

Read the Press Release - 1-7-08
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Additional Press:
Warning over e-waste cowboys - 1-9-08
 
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Environmentalists Warn of Illegal Export of Toxic Naval Vessel from Baltimore
11-13-07
 
Ship Loaded with Toxic PCBs and Asbestos Could "Slip Away in the Night"

Read the Press Release - 11-13-07
 
 
Legal Fillings:
Preliminary Injunction Order (Document 10) - 7-3-08
Decision on Defendant's Motion to Dismiss (Document 9) - 7-3-08

Additional Press:
EPA sues to keep decaying ship from leaving U.S. - 3-21-08
EPA sues to stop Sanctuary owner from towing boat to Greece - 3-19-08
Ex-hospital ship has toxic PCBs, report shows - 11-15-07
Plan for hospital ship questioned - 11-13-07
 
 
Proposed waste law to officially turn India into global waste destination: Environmentalists
11-14-07
 
Draft promotes waste trade over health and environment

Read the Press Release - 11-14-07
 
Warning: Washington State’s e-Waste Rules will Send Old Toxic Computers to Developing Countries
9-12-07
 
12 September 2007 (Seattle, Washington) - The Seattle-based toxic trade watchdog organization Basel Action Network (BAN) in a letter to the governor today warned that the draft rules for implementing Washington's upcoming program requiring electronics manufacturers to collect and recycle electronic waste across the state will allow foreign dumping of waste electronics containing toxic substances such as mercury, lead, beryllium and brominated flame retardants, and will cause more global harm than good.

Read the Press Release - 9-12-07

Images ©2007 Basel Action Network
 
 
Additional Press:
State recycling plan could be poison for other countries - 9-12-07
 
BAN's Letter to the Governor:
www.ban.org/library/Gregoireletter.html - 9-12-07

Detailed Response to the Proposed Regulations:
www.ban.org/library/ecology.html - 8-30-07

Information on the New Law: www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/swfa/eproductrecycle

For photos of devastating toxics e-dumping in developing countries see: www.ban.org/photogallery/index.html
 
 
Environmentalists Applaud Sony Recycling Announcement
8-16-07
 
Click the image to enlarge
16 August 2007 (San Jose, CA) - Environmentalists today applauded Sony USA's announcement that they are launching an electronics takeback program across the United States next month. Sony has stated that they will take back any used product with Sony's name on it, at no cost to consumers, and will eventually reach a goal of recycling a pound of old electronics for every new pound of products sold. Sony, which has the largest market share of television sales in the US, is the first consumer electronics company to make such a commitment in this country.

Read the Press Release - 8-16-07
 
Research Identifies U.S. Electronic Waste as Likely Source of Toxic Jewelry Imports from China
7-11-07
 
11 July 2007 (Ashland, Ohio.) - For Dr. Jeffrey Weidenhamer, a professor of chemistry at Ashland University in Ashland, Ohio, a trip to a local dollar store to buy jewelry samples for his class to analyze, turned into a year-long research project on the global trade in toxic products. The research, soon to be published in two papers in the journal Chemosphere, identifies electronic solders from electronic waste and old car batteries as likely sources for the lead that has been recently discovered in trinket and charm jewelry samples imported from China.

by Ashland University and Basel Action Network

Read the Press Release - 7-11-07

Images ©2007 Stuart Isett/www.isett.com

 
 
Additional Press:
Why Lead in Toy Paint? It's Cheaper - 9-7-07
Toxic-waste jewellery may be on sale in NZ - 8-8-07
Lead Toxins Take a Global Round Trip - 7-12-07
 
Articles:

Chemosphere Article (gally proofs) available at www.ashland.edu/~jweiden

Weidenhamer, J.D., Clement, M.L.
“Leaded Electronic Waste is a Possible Source Material for Lead-Contaminated Jewelry” Chemosphere (2007) doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2007.04.023

Weidenhamer, J.D., Clement, M.L.
“Evidence of Recycling Lead Battery Waste into Highly Leaded Jewelry” Chemosphere (2007) doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2007.06.005

Basel Action Network "Exporting Harm: The High-Tech Trashing of Asia"
 
 
Government of Chile Urged Not to Dump Warships
7-2-07
 
2 July 2007 (Brussels, Belgium.) - The NGO Platform on Shipbreaking, a coalition of human rights and environmental groups working to prevent environmentally damaging and exploitive shiprecycling, has discovered that two decommissioned Chilean frigates (former UK navy vessels) named the Almirante Cochrane (formerly the HMS Antrim) and the Capitan Prat (formerly the HMS Norfolk) are soon to be sold on the international ship scrap market.

Read the Press Release - 7-2-07
 
Study Reveals Ghost Fleet to be Constantly Discharging Toxins
6-19-07
 
Click the image to enlarge
19 June 2007 (Seattle, WA.) - In an article this Sunday, the California newspaper Contra Costa Times revealed that the "ghost fleet" ships have lost 25% of their toxic paints and that high levels of toxic heavy metal contamination of the waters and sediments have accumulated beneath and near the Suisun Bay ex-naval ship "parking lot" in Northern California.

Read the Press Release - 6-19-07

Click here to view the study (33MB)

Photo by Karl Mondon (Contra Costa Times)
 
Toxic Ghost Fleet Ship Export to UK Stopped
5-31-07
 
31 May 2007 (Seattle, WA., Washington, DC) - The Bush Administration's plans to export nine ex-naval “Ghost Fleet” vessels from the James River in Virginia to Teesside, England for scrapping has itself been finally scrapped, according to the Able UK company.

Read the Press Release - 5-31-07
  Additional Press:
Revised deal ends one of fights over ghost fleet - 6-2-07
No more 'ghost fleet' ships to be sent to England for scrapping - 6-1-07
No more 'ghost fleet' ships will be sent to Britain for scrapping - 6-1-07
British firm loses contract to dismantle nine US 'ghost ships - 5-31-07
Export of Toxic Ghost Ships to UK Ended - 5-31-07