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Spheres of Influence
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No POPS Charles W. Schmidt Abstract
A worldwide movement is underway to limit the emissions and production of the 12 most dangerous persistent organic pollutants: DDT, toxaphene, chlordane, heptachlor, aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, mirex, polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxins, furans, and hexachlorobenzene. The United Nations Environment Programme has created an intergovernmental negotiating committee, which met for the first time in June 1998. This committee is charged with preparing a global POPs treaty. A separate committee will establish scientific criteria and procedures for identifying additional POPs as candidates for future reduction efforts. The text of the treaty is expected to be completed by late 2000. It is still unknown to what extent the committee will seek to eradicate production of POPs altogether. The treaty must address the special needs of developing countries, which often lack the resources to implement alternatives to the relatively cheap POPs. Many countries still trade in the 9 POPs pesticides, and stockpiles of POPs exist worldwide. Countries that lack appropriate disposal facilities may need to ship their stockpiled POPs to industrialized nations.
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