PH groups join global call to resolve Minamata tragedy before mercury treaty named for victims

Over 200 civil society groups from 70 countries, including over 35 from the Philippines, have asked the Government of Japan to resolve a 55-year old struggle for justice by Minamata mercury pollution victims and survivors.

Through the “Honoring Minamata” statement, the groups insisted that the still ongoing tragedy must be properly addressed by the Government of Japan and the Chisso Corporation before the global mercury treaty can take the name the Minamata Convention in 2013.

A Chisso Corporation plant producing the chemical acetaldehyde using a mercury catalyzed process irresponsibly discharged wastewater tainted with methyl mercury into the Minamata Bay in Kumamoto Prefecture from 1932-1968, causing what is now called the “Minamata disease” among people who ate the contaminated fish and other seafood.

The Japanese government is set to holds meetings on June 26 in Minamata to explain why the new mercury treaty should be named the Minamata Convention, triggering civil society groups around the world to express support for the Minamata victims and survivors.

“We call on the Government of Japan to make a public commitment to resolving the tragedy and to take concrete steps toward a genuine resolution of the tragedy before the treaty is finalized in 2013,” said Mariann Lloyd-Smith, IPEN co-chair. “After 55 years of struggling, we stand in solidarity with the Minamata victims’ groups in calling for a genuine resolution of the problem.”

“Naming the global mercury control treaty the Minamata Convention directly connects the treaty
to the tragedy,” said Olga Speranskaya, IPEN co-chair. “If the treaty has this name, then the victims and their legitimate demands must be honored and the lessons of the Minamata tragedy must be applied to the treaty.”

In 2010, then Prime Minister Hatoyama proposed naming the mercury treaty the Minamata Convention, though the proposal was not discussed with Minamata groups prior to its announcement.

As victims of the Fukushima tragedy mount, the Minamata disaster may provide important lessons about compensation, clean-up, and polluter pays, the groups said.

In January 2011, Minamata victims and supporter groups released a statement on the tragedy at the global mercury treaty negotiation meeting in Chiba, Japan calling on the government to take authentic steps towards its resolution.

Among the local groups that have supported the “Honoring Minamata” statement were
Alaga LAHAT, Alliance of Progressive Labor, Alyansa Tigil Mina, Ang Nars, Arugaan, Ban Toxics, Bangon Kalikasan Movement, Buklod Tao, Inc., Cavite Green Coalition, Citizens’ Organization Concerned with Advocating Philippine Environmental Sustainability, Consumer Rights for Safe Food, Ecological Society of the Philippines, EcoWaste Coalition and the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives.

Also signing were Green Convergence for Safe Food, Healthy Environment and Sustainable Economy, Greenpeace Southeast Asia, Green Stage Filipinas- Maskara, Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Alliance – Philippines, Health Care Without Harm Southeast Asia, Institute for Educational and Ecological Alternatives, Interface Development Interventions, International Academy for Oral Medicine and Toxicology- Asia, Kinaiyahan Foundation, Krusada sa Kalikasan, Ministry of Ecology of Risen Christ Parish (Silang, Cavite) and Miriam P.E.A.C.E.

The other signatories were Mother Earth Foundation, Order of Friars Minor – Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation, People’s Alternative Study Center for Research and Education in Social Development Inc., Pesticide Action Network Philippines, Philippine Earth Justice Center, Sagip Sierra Madre Environmental Society, Inc., Sanib Lakas ng mga Aktibong Lingkod ng Inang Kalikasan, Save Sierra Madre Network and the Soljuspax.

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Painkillers can kill children, warns EcoWaste

Painkillers can kill even children.

This warning was issued yesterday by toxic watchdog EcoWaste Coalition as they called on the public, particularly parents and teachers, to take precautionary measures to prevent poisoning among children.

Citing data from the 2010 annual report of the University of the Philippines National Poison Management and Control Center (UPNPMCC), the EcoWaste Coalition said paracetamol, also known as painkillers, was among the leading causes of poisoning among children.

Aside from paracetamol, the other top 10 poison agents in terms of in-patient referrals for pediatric age group were kerosene, caustics (example: chlorine bleach), silver jewelry cleaners, pesticides (examples: insecticide lotion and spray and rat poison), ferrous sulfate, elemental mercury (example: the silvery liquid in some thermometers), paint thinner, button cell batteries and benzodiazepines (psychoactive drugs).

“The myriad of poisoning cases involving children due to the consumption or exposure to harmful products and substances should stir parents, as well as school administrators and teachers, into employing precautionary steps to stop such incidents,” EcoWaste Coalition’s Project Protect coordinator Thony Dizon said.

According to Dizon, many poisoning cases that have occurred in the past could have been prevented if only these common sense tips had been applied.

As the nation marks the National Poison Prevention Week (NPPW) this week, EcoWaste Coalition and other toxic watchdogs gathered yesterday to remind the public on the risks of toxic chemicals inside their homes.

The group said parents, teachers and workplace managers can help reduce incidence of chemical poisoning by proper purchase, handling, use and storage of products containing harmful substances.
The public was advised to be health and safety-conscious consumers by reading the labels, demanding chemical information and selecting non-toxic products.

The public was likewise reminded to keep a record of hazardous and potentially hazardous products, as well as wastes, in homes, schools or workplaces such as cosmetics and toiletries, cleaning agents, automotive supplies, herbicides, pesticides and other products with added toxic chemicals.

Chemicals must be labeled and stored properly in a dry, locked or tamper-proof cabinet, the group said.

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Watchdog warns: your children may be at risk of poisoning

To mark National Poison Prevention Week (NPPW), a toxic watchdog on Sunday appealed to the public to take essential precautions to avoid poisoning accidents that can endanger children’s health.

The NPPW is held annually every fourth week of June to raise public awareness on poison prevention as directed by Presidential Proclamation No. 1777, Series of 2009.

In a bid to inform citizens about chemical hazards and the practical ways to prevent poisoning, especially among children, members of the EcoWaste Coalition’s AlerToxic Patrol gathered near Mega Q-Mart (formerly known as the Nepa Q-Mart) along EDSA in Quezon City to disseminate vital information.

Holding big mock images of product containers that bear the skull and cross bones symbol, the AlerToxic Patrollers gave out leaflets entitled “Kalatas,” which is short for “Kamalayan sa Lason at Lunas” (Awareness on Poison and Cure), to shoppers.

“Kalatas” (Note) contains practical tips that parents, teachers and workplace managers will find useful to reduce, if not eliminate, chemical poisoning as a result of improper purchase, handling, use and storage of products containing harmful substances.

“The myriad poisoning cases involving children due to the consumption or exposure to harmful products and substances should stir parents, as well as school administrators and teachers, into employing precautionary steps to stop such incidents,” said Thony Dizon, Coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition’s Project Protect.

Citing data from the 2010 annual report of the UP National Poison Management and Control Center (UPNPMCC), the EcoWaste Coalition reported that the top 10 poison agents in terms of in-patient referrals for pediatric age group are kerosene, caustics (for example, chlorine bleach), silver jewelry cleaners, pesticides (for example, insecticide lotion and spray and rat poison), ferrous sulfate, elemental mercury (for example, the silvery liquid in some thermometers), paint thinner, paracetamol, button cell batteries and benzodiazepines (psychoactive drugs).

“Many of the poisoning cases that have occurred in the past could have been prevented if only these common sense tips have been applied,” Dizon pointed out.

These poison prevention tips include:

1. Be a health and safety-conscious consumer: read the labels, demand chemical information and select non-toxic products.

2. Keep a record of hazardous and potentially hazardous products, as well as waste, in your home, school or workplace such as cosmetics and toiletries, cleaning agents, automotive supplies, herbicides, pesticides and other products with added toxic chemicals.

3. Label chemicals and store them properly in a dry, locked or tamper-proof cabinet.

4. Ensure that chemicals are out of children’s and pets’ reach and far away from food and water. Do not store cleaning supplies with or near food items.

5. Follow instructions for the safe handling, application and storage of products containing harmful substances, including directions for safe disposal.

6. Never mix chemicals unless specified in the instructions, in order to avoid risky chemical reaction (for example, combining ammonia with bleach will yield poisonous gas).

7. Ensure chemicals are tightly capped and securely stored after use to avoid emission and spillage, and never leave them unattended.

8. Do not remove poisonous products from their original containers or packages and do not destroy product labels or inserts, which could contain life-saving information.

9. Never store chemicals in beverage or food containers as children tend to associate potable drink and edible food with some containers.

10. Do not place ant, roach and rat poisons on the floors that children can mistakenly ingest. Try non-chemical alternatives to get rid of household pests.

11. Keep medicines duly labeled and stored in child-proof containers and cabinets, and check the labels and expiry dates before taking them. Refrain from taking medicines in front of kids as they tend to mimic what adults do. Kids should not be told that medicine is a candy.

12. Dispose of used button cell batteries properly and keep the unused ones far from children's reach.

13. Have a first-aid kit ready and accessible in case of an emergency.

14. Regularly wash or clean children’s hands, toys and other items and places frequently used by kids to minimize potential exposure to lead and other harmful chemicals.

15. Know where to call or get help in the event of suspected or actual poisoning. Call or visit a doctor at once and be sure to keep the original container of the ingested substance for reference.

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Tainted foods banned in schools

The Department of Education (DepEd) directed Thursday all canteens in public and private elementary and high schools to remove food products from their stocks that are believed to be contaminated with di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) to ensure the health and safety of the students inside school premises.

In DepEd Memorandum No. 140, series of 2011 issued to all regional directors, schools/city division superintendents, and heads of private and public elementary and secondary schools, Education Secretary Armin Luistro ordered that “school canteens to dispose of or return these food products in your stocks and ensure that they are not consumed by students and school personnel.”

Luistro ordered school heads “to monitor the inventory of food items sold in school canteens, and to communicate the department’s concern with the local government so food stalls outside of schools maybe examined.”

DepEd officials and school canteens are ordered to follow the directive from the Department of Health-Food and Drug Administration (DoH-FDA) on how to deal with DEHP-contaminated products to prevent school children from buying it.

Under DoH-FDA directive 2011-008, “products whether registered or not with the FDA but identified in the tentative list of DEHP-contaminated products shall be recalled and disposed of properly.”

Products that are not identified in the list but are unregistered with the FDA “shall also be recalled and disposed of, and lastly that those products that are registered but not identified in the list shall be withdrawn from the market to be subjected to a laboratory analysis to confirm the presence or absence of DEHP.”

Some of the items in the FDA-issued list of DEHP-tainted products from Taiwan include fruit juices, fruit juice powders, fruit concentrates, fruit candies, fruit tablets, fruit powders, sports drinks, teas, jelly and yogurt.

DEHP, a suspected carcinogen, can damage the kidneys, liver and lungs, and cause reproductive and developmental disorders such as underdeveloped penises and testicles in boys and early puberty in girls.

Taiwan’s FDA reportedly ordered a stop to the selling of the products. Earlier, EcoWaste Coalition, a toxic watchdog, urged the DepEd to initiate proactive measures to ensure that students are protected from health-damaging food and drinks containing DEHP.

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Food chemical may shrink sex organs

TO further secure the health and safety of the students, the Department of Education (DepEd) on Wednesday ordered all school canteens to rid of products from their stocks contaminated with the chemical di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate or DEHP.

DEHP is suspected to cause damage in the kidneys, liver and lungs, and cause reproductive and developmental disorders such as underdeveloped penises and testicles in boys and early puberty in girls.

DepEd points to a DOH-FDA directive (2011-008), “products whether registered or not with the FDA but identified in the tentative list of DEHP-contaminated products shall be recalled and disposed of properly.”

Some of the items under the list include fruit juices, fruit juice powders, fruit concentrates, fruit candies, fruit tablets, fruit powders, sports drinks, teas, jelly and yoghurt.

In Memorandum Order No. 140, Education Secretary Armin Luistro directed school canteens to “dispose of or return products in your stocks and ensure that they are not consumed by students and school personnel.”

School heads were also mandated to monitor the inventory of food items sold in school cafeterias, and to relay the department’s concern with the local government so food stalls outside of schools maybe examined.

Those in-charge of school canteens are likewise encouraged to follow the directive from the Department of Health-Food and Drug Administration (DOH-FDA) on how to deal with DEHP-contaminated products to prevent school children from buying it.

Under the said DOH-FDA directive (2011-008), “products whether registered or not with the FDA but identified in the tentative list of DEHP-contaminated products shall be recalled and disposed of properly.”

Some of the items under the list include fruit juices, fruit juice powders, fruit concentrates, fruit candies, fruit tablets, fruit powders, sports drinks, teas, jelly and yoghurt.

Products not identified in the list but are unregistered with the FDA shall also be recalled and disposed of, and lastly that those products that are registered but not identified in the list shall be withdrawn from the market to be subjected to a laboratory analysis to confirm the presence or absence of DEHP.

The toxic watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition earlier urged DepEd to act on rolling out a food safety awareness and action campaign with school administrators, teachers, non-teaching personnel, students, parents and food service providers to educate them on the gravity of the issue.

The Taiwan’s FDA has also ordered a stop to the selling of products made by the Yu Shen Chemical Company that used DEHP as substitute for palm oil.

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Groups urge authorities to stand by the pollution prevention goal of the Clean Air

As the nation marks the 12th anniversary of the signing of Republic Act 8749 Wednesday, campaigners for health, environmental and climate justice urged national and local authorities to duly enforce the ban on waste incineration.

In a common statement, the EcoWaste Coalition, the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) and the Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) pressed lead government agencies such as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Department of Health, the Department of Science and Technology, as well as local government units (LGUs), to be faithful with the spirit and intent of the law.

Signed by then President Joseph Estrada, R.A. 8749, or the Clean Air Act of 1999, is a wide-ranging air quality management law that seeks to protect the right of every person to breathe clean air by curbing emissions from various pollution sources.

Among the pollution prevention and reduction measures enshrined in R.A. 8749 is the ban on incinerators, which fall under the category of stationary sources of air pollutants, that “emit toxic and poisonous fumes.”

“For the nth time, we urge those accountable for bringing into fruition the promise of safe and healthy environment under R.A. 8749 not to be remiss in their duty of enforcing the incineration ban,” said Roy Alvarez, President, EcoWaste Coalition.

“Despite the availability of economical and environmentally-safe methods of discards management, we are stunned to find public officials from Benguet to Butuan lured into patronizing costly incinerators peddled as viable solutions to garbage woes,” noted GAIA campaigner Paeng Lopez.

“Even some health officials seem to be oblivious to the fact that healthcare waste incineration is out-of-date given the commercial accessibility to different types and sizes of non-burn technologies, such as autoclave and microwave, for killing pathogens in infected waste,” stated Merci Ferrer, Director, HCWH-Southeast Asia.

The groups asked institutions and LGUs being targeted by incinerator vendors to focus their time, energy and financial resources in fully implementing waste prevention and reduction programs, accompanied with active public information and education drive.

Such programs, according to the groups, must include segregation at source, reusing, recycling and composting, as well as other methods for cutting the volume and toxicity of discards, including “upstream” approaches like clean production and extended producer responsibility.

“Any time incinerator peddlers throw scifi-sounding nouns and adjectives to go along words such as plasma, gasification, or pyrolysis to make their technologies sound hi-tech, please remember that those are fundamentally incinerators in varying disguises,” added Lopez.

The groups emphasized that the ban on waste incineration, which has been reaffirmed in another law (R.A. 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000), is a valuable environmental policy that has, among others, prevented valuable materials from being turned into toxic ash, reduced the discharge of harmful by-products from combustion processes, and averted the squander of public money for costly, imported and superfluous materials destruction technology.

Citing the GAIA factsheet on “Incinerators: Myths and Facts,” the groups reiterated the following points debunking the safeness and soundness of garbage incinerators:

1. Municipal waste is non-renewable, consisting of discarded materials such as paper, plastic and glass that are derived from finite natural resources such as forests that are being depleted at unsustainable rates.

2. All incinerators pose considerable risk to the health and environment of frontline communities as well as that of the general population. Even the most technologically advanced incinerators release thousands of pollutants that contaminate our air, soil and water.

3.Burning waste contributes to climate change since incinerators emit more carbon dioxide (CO2) per unit of electricity (2988 lbs/MWh) than coal-fired power plants. (2249 lbs/MWh).

4.All incinerators are a massive waste of energy. Due to the low calorific value of waste, incinerators are only able to capture small amounts of energy while destroying large amounts of reusable materials.

5.Incinerators burn local jobs, requiring huge capital investment, but they offer relatively few jobs when compared to recycling.

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'Litterless' Run for Rizal draws cheers from green group

A waste and pollution watchdog has expressed delight over the “litterless” fun run held Sunday morning at the Luneta in celebration of the 150th birthday of Dr. Jose Rizal.

The EcoWaste Coalition, a public interest network campaigning for a “litter-free Pilipinas,” commended the organizers and participants for demonstrating their environmental discipline and responsibility in such a historic event.

Organized by the Department of Education (DepEd), the “Takbo ni Pepe@150” drew thousands upon thousands of young people who came to honor the national hero and also to support the government’s resource mobilization drive for public schools.

“We congratulate DepEd and all the participating schools and students for keeping the event litterless as they walked and ran in memory of Rizal and in support of the public school system,” said Manny Calonzo, EcoWaste Coalition’s Basura Patroller who monitored the event.

“Compared to other mass events held in Rizal Park, the fun run did not blight the area with too much garbage,” he said.

“For sure there were some litterbugs among the participants, representing a tiny fraction of the runners and leaving only patches of littered candy and snack wrappers,” he said.

“Although not totally litter-free, we’re pleased to see that the participants did not leave a big mess along the route, particularly in Rizal Park” he further said.

Littering is a serious environmental offense that is not only making a place looks bad, said the EcoWaste Coalition.

According to the group, littering also causes a host of negative effects to public hygiene and sanitation, drainage management and flood control and wildlife protection, while consuming hordes of public funds for cleanup.

Section 48 of Republic Act 9003, the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, prohibits the dumping of waste matters in public places such as roads, sidewalks, canals, esteros, parks and establishments.

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