RI, Singapore to regulate hazardous waste shipment<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's and Singapore's ministers of
\nenvironment signed yesterday a memorandum of agreement on the
\nshipment of hazardous waste between the two countries.<\/p>\n
The agreement, the details of which have yet to be worked out,
\ncovers the supervision of the import and export of toxic waste in
\naccordance with the Basel Convention on hazardous waste.<\/p>\n
\"The agreement will facilitate development of preventive
\nmeasures to protect both countries from the negative effects of
\nillegal hazardous waste disposal activities,\" said Indonesian
\nMinister of Environment Sarwono Kusumaatmadja.<\/p>\n
Sarwono and his Singaporean counterpart Teo Chee Hean signed
\nthe memorandum of understanding on the Control of Transboundary
\nMovements of Hazardous Wastes at Hotel Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The agreement was signed at the end of the second Indonesia-
\nSingapore Joint Committee on the Environment meeting that ended
\nyesterday.<\/p>\n
The agreement, which adopts the 1994 Basel Convention,
\nincludes regulations on the transit of hazardous waste, joint
\ncooperation on the resolution of illegal waste shipments,
\nexchange of information on pollution, and environmental
\nmanagement research and training programs.<\/p>\n
It was made to foster understanding of both countries'
\nmanagement of waste shipments. While Indonesia signed the Basel
\nConvention in April 1994, Singapore has yet to sign.<\/p>\n
The Basel Convention on the Total Ban of Transboundary
\nMovements of Hazardous Wastes and other Disposals has been
\nratified by 64 countries, including Indonesia. It gives three-
\nyears' leeway before enforcing a total ban by the ratifying
\ncountries.<\/p>\n
Major industrialized countries, including the United States,
\nJapan, Canada and Australia, among the world's biggest exporters
\nof industrial waste, have stayed away from the convention.<\/p>\n
Under the agreement, Sarwono said waste shipments could be
\ndirectly controlled by both countries. In the case of tank
\ncleaning, for example, Singapore can now refuse empty tanks if
\nthey are not accompanied by details on who cleaned the tanks, and
\nwhere and when they had been cleaned. (03)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ri-singapore-to-regulate-hazardous-waste-shipment-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}