Clipping Board » Environmental Pollution & Change ─ How dirty the human heart is, how dirty the environment will be...
Update Date: 2008/09/24 09:25 Compiled by Fan Shiying; Reviewed by Cai Liling and He Yin
A report released by a U.S. congressional investigative agency on the 17th stated that regulations on toxic waste cannot prevent the export of toxic second-hand electronic products to developing countries, partly because the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not enforced these regulations.
This report was commissioned by the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) indicated that, in addition to the EPA's lack of enforcement, the scope of the regulations themselves is insufficient to address the issue.
The regulations currently only govern the disposal of one type of electronic product—old cathode ray tube (CRT) monitors. CRT monitors are particularly harmful because they contain up to four pounds of lead, a known toxin.
However, there are almost no restrictions on the export of other types of electronic products, even to countries that cannot provide safe recycling processes, potentially causing health and environmental problems. The report noted that this situation arises because existing toxic waste regulations only assess the changes in products within U.S. landfills.
As more Americans recycle old computers and more companies adopt recycling operations, "developing countries will face a tsunami of CRT monitors entering their lands, poisoning their soil and water," said Jim Puckett of the Basel Action Network, a non-profit organization. He was the first to expose the massive influx of computers into China in 2001.
"Thousands of workers, including farmers, dismantle, melt, and heat our old computers every day to earn a dollar a day," Puckett told reporters on the 17th. He also mentioned that some of the lead obtained from discarded computers returns to the U.S. through the import of toys and jewelry.
Puckett said federal laws are needed because the current patchwork of state laws and regulations is ineffective, and the Constitution prohibits regulating trade. "They must thoroughly resolve this issue; currently, they are just pushing it into a black hole."
The average lifespan of a computer is about two years. Americans discard at least 50 million computers annually, amounting to about 3,000 tons per day, with millions more stored at home or in warehouses awaiting disposal. Each computer contains toxic substances like lead, cadmium, and mercury, which can harm health and the environment if not properly handled.
In 2007, the EPA began regulating the export of CRT monitors, requiring companies to notify the government before exporting.
However, companies can easily circumvent this law. The GAO found that they can pose as foreign buyers from countries like Hong Kong, India, and Pakistan to purchase CRT monitors.
They also discovered that 43 U.S. companies expressed interest in exporting these products.
A recent United Nations survey found that many second-hand electronics exported to Asia are dismantled in unsafe environments, such as open-air incineration and acid treatments to extract metals like copper or gold.
Source: http:/ / tw. news. yahoo. com/ art……rl/ d/ a/ 080924/ 109/ 16gkf. html
EPA's Weak Enforcement Leads to Toxic E-Waste Harming Poor Nations
A report released by a U.S. congressional investigative agency on the 17th stated that regulations on toxic waste cannot prevent the export of toxic second-hand electronic products to developing countries, partly because the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not enforced these regulations.
This report was commissioned by the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) indicated that, in addition to the EPA's lack of enforcement, the scope of the regulations themselves is insufficient to address the issue.
The regulations currently only govern the disposal of one type of electronic product—old cathode ray tube (CRT) monitors. CRT monitors are particularly harmful because they contain up to four pounds of lead, a known toxin.
However, there are almost no restrictions on the export of other types of electronic products, even to countries that cannot provide safe recycling processes, potentially causing health and environmental problems. The report noted that this situation arises because existing toxic waste regulations only assess the changes in products within U.S. landfills.
As more Americans recycle old computers and more companies adopt recycling operations, "developing countries will face a tsunami of CRT monitors entering their lands, poisoning their soil and water," said Jim Puckett of the Basel Action Network, a non-profit organization. He was the first to expose the massive influx of computers into China in 2001.
"Thousands of workers, including farmers, dismantle, melt, and heat our old computers every day to earn a dollar a day," Puckett told reporters on the 17th. He also mentioned that some of the lead obtained from discarded computers returns to the U.S. through the import of toys and jewelry.
Puckett said federal laws are needed because the current patchwork of state laws and regulations is ineffective, and the Constitution prohibits regulating trade. "They must thoroughly resolve this issue; currently, they are just pushing it into a black hole."
The average lifespan of a computer is about two years. Americans discard at least 50 million computers annually, amounting to about 3,000 tons per day, with millions more stored at home or in warehouses awaiting disposal. Each computer contains toxic substances like lead, cadmium, and mercury, which can harm health and the environment if not properly handled.
In 2007, the EPA began regulating the export of CRT monitors, requiring companies to notify the government before exporting.
However, companies can easily circumvent this law. The GAO found that they can pose as foreign buyers from countries like Hong Kong, India, and Pakistan to purchase CRT monitors.
They also discovered that 43 U.S. companies expressed interest in exporting these products.
A recent United Nations survey found that many second-hand electronics exported to Asia are dismantled in unsafe environments, such as open-air incineration and acid treatments to extract metals like copper or gold.
Source: http:/ / tw. news. yahoo. com/ art……rl/ d/ a/ 080924/ 109/ 16gkf. html