Opening Pandora's Box:

ARGENTINA
Name of hotspot: Argentina toxics dump
Hotspot location: Argentina, Santiago del Estero Province, Argentina
Date of summary: August 1999
Hotspot category: Waste-dump; Stockpile
Main contaminants: HCB, DDT, DDE, DDD, HCH (alpha, beta, gamma and delta),
Aldrin, Heptachlor, Dieldrin, Chlordane (alpha and gamma)
Quantities: 30 tons
Company/body It has not yet been possible to identify the responsible
responsible: companies
Source: Dump of banned/obsolete pesticides and related wastes
Description: Argentina is the name of a small town in Santiago del Estero
province, one of the poorest provinces of Argentina.
The toxics were transported to the site and buried in 1990.
The site was discovered in 1994 almost 150 metres from a
school. It has remained there ever since, without any sort of
enclosure. Companies suspected of being responsible for the
toxics could never be proven guilty. And government
authorities have not acted to protect human health and the
environment from the toxics
Action needed: Removal of the toxics and safe decontamination of the site and
investigation on the companies responsible for
importing/producing and disposing of the chemicals.
Greenpeace also demands safe disposal of the chemicals and
contaminated soil, and monitoring of impacts on water and the
health of the surrounding population who should be provided
with the necessary sanitary protection.
References:
"National Profile on Chemicals Management", Ministry of Health,
Argentina, 1997. Several documents including newspaper articles,
legal demands and letters from the ombudsman of the country and
the ombudsman of Santiago del Estero Province