Environmental Groups Expose Illegal E-Waste Dumping

Lynn Schenkman

Vancouver, British Columbia – Several environmental agencies are accusing Canada of violating international law by exporting toxic electronic waste (e-waste) to China. The Vancouver-based Society Promoting Environmental Conservation (SPEC); the Basel Action Network (BAN), Seattle, the Toronto Environmental Alliance (TEA), and Clean Production Action (CPA), Montreal, are insisting Canadian government follow Europe’s lead of establishing provincial and national legislation to prevent what they consider a grievous environmental error. In 1994, the EU passed the Basel Ban, which banned the export of hazardous waste to certain countries. And earlier this month, EU governments and parliaments voted to hold individual manufacturers financially responsible for managing the disposal of their own e-waste.