Bush Sends POP Treaty to Congress

Danielle Jackson

Washington, D.C. -- President George W. Bush has submitted the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) to the Senate for its advice and consent to ratify it. The Convention has targeted 12 toxic chemicals, commonly referred to as the "dirty dozen," which include certain waste byproducts such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dioxin.

Bush is asking the Senate to enact the treaty to phase out the 12 chemicals, but some argue that nothing has been offered as a means to eliminate future pollutants because Bush did not include a provision that would allow additional chemicals to be banned.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Christie Whitman signed the POP treaty last May.