[Mb-civic] CBC News - IRAQ'S HAZARDOUS WASTE A HEALTH RISK: UN

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IRAQ'S HAZARDOUS WASTE A HEALTH RISK: UN 
WebPosted Sat Nov 12 12:13:57 2005

---The UN Environment Program report says Iraq has thousands of
heavily contaminated sites that pose a danger to the environment and
public health.

A report by UNEP assesses five environmental "hot spots" that were bombed
or looted during the coalition-led war.

The report finds all of these locations are contaminated by various
toxic compounds, chemicals or pesticides. Four are situated near
Baghdad and one near the city of Mosul, potentially putting millions of
people at risk.

UNEP executive director Klaus Topfer says Iraq has a legacy of
contaminated and derelict industrial and military sites.

"There are older sites. There is history of contamination, linked with
massive neglect of the environment."

About $40 million is needed to identify and clean up contaminated sites
in Iraq, including $22 million for the construction of a hazardous
waste disposal facility, and to enact environmental legislation,
according to UNEP.

The report says it will take years to investigate the thousands of
contaminated sites that exist in Iraq. Among them are 311 sites polluted
by depleted uranium.

UN staff members aren't allowed to work in Iraq for security reasons, so
the project was carried out by Iraqis. More than 30 experts from Iraq
were trained abroad in assessment techniques.

The UN Environment Program plans to begin cleaning up two of the most
contaminated sites in December.

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