POPs IN AFRICA HAZARDOUS WASTE TRADE 1980 - 2000 ... - Arte

GCPF defines itself as „the industry“, and praises, e.g., Shell
for having removed outdated pesticides from Mauritania.
However, Shell was not a member of GCPF and furthermore
was only marginally involved in the action. It is true that Shell
contributed a sum of about US$ 300,000 (37.5% of the total) for
dieldrin that it had produced. This contribution only happened
after a disastrous loss of image due to the company’s plans to
dump a decommissioned oil installation, the „Brent Spar“, in
the sea. At the same time Shell was under heavy criticism
because of it’s collusion with the Nigerian military regime in
the Ogoni land.
Shell‘s engagement regarding “obsolete pesticides“ ceased
abruptly therafter, but the image campaign is still ongoing.
Shell praises itself on the Mauritania case in advertisements in
major International magazines such as Newsweek, Times
Magazine, The Economist, and the Washington Post. under the
slogan “Clean-up-or-cover-up“. The money they spent over the
last years for advertising their little clean up project would have
been able to pay for a clean up of stocks in another country.
GCPF in 2001 gives an impression as if it’s member companies
were actively involved in clean-ups in 15 countries around the
globe. 8 This is not correct. In reality, GCPF companies were
actively involved in only two cases:
1. It contributed directly US$ 58,000 for its own supervision of
the Gambia disposal of about 12 tonnes. An additional sum also
was contributed to the same operation by ODA in UK. (see
country section Gambia).
2. A second direct contribution of US$ 133,000 was made for a
disposal of obsolete pesticides from Madagascar. But this action
also received contribution by from Government of Madagascar
both in kind and finances, the Swiss Development Cooperation
Agency, and GTZ.
Any disposal operation that has taken place by GCPF, in Africa
or elsewhere, only involved cleaning up their own vending
stores, and had nothing to do with fulfilling their responsibility
for the problems they have created nor with respect to the
international collaborative effort to eradicate obsolete
pesticide/chemical stockpiles.
8 Chris Waller, GCPF spokesman, in Poznan, Poland at the 6 th HCH and Pesticides Forum 21.3.01, see also www.gcpf.org,
March 2001
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