• Amnesty International and Greenpeace: The Trafigura disaster taught the world nothing

Waste Management

Amnesty International and Greenpeace: The Trafigura disaster taught the world nothing

Oct 16 2012

Trafiguara, a Dutch multinational commodity trading company, has once again been blamed for the dumping of toxic waste in Abidjan in 2006.

After the event, thousands of individuals had to seek hospital treatment because of the damage the harmful toxins caused them.

"Tens of thousands of people suffered from nausea, headaches, breathing difficulties, stinging eyes and burning skin," a report from Amnesty International and Greenpeace says.

Amnesty International and Greenpeace are campaigning for the case to be brought back to court. The charities "say a three-year investigation shows the UK and Dutch authorities failed to stop the dumping or hold Trafigura to account", reports the BBC.

Although Trafigura denies any wrongdoing, a new report - The Toxic Truth, based on Amnesty and Greenpeace's three-year investigation, shows that there is significant evidence that it was at fault.

Both groups fear that if no action is taken, there is nothing to deter another company acting in a similar way in another city in a developing country.

The Toxic Truth puts Trafigura purely at fault, claiming that it cashed in on a country that was weak and developing.

"In the absence of effective law enforcement, one company acted to secure corporate profit without regard for the human and environmental costs. That company was Trafigura."

The statement then goes on to explain how the two charities believe how the organisation effected the dumping.

It claims that "Trafigura made the toxic waste on board the Probo Koala". Instead of disposing of the waste safely and legally, the company avoided the costs by giving "false or misleading information about the waste to the state authorities and wasteprocessing companies in several countries".

This is how they managed to pass through so many borders with the harmful toxic waste.

Toxic Truth is desperate for more action to be taken on the case, seeking justice for the vulnerable individuals harmed by those seeking to cut costs.

"The toxic waste dumping at Abidjan is not only a crime committed back in 2006 but an ongoing travesty of justice today," it finishes.


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