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Environmental Health Groups Celebrate the End to EU Allowance for Banned Flame Retardant Chemicals to Enter Recycling Streams & New Products
24.1.2020 - GOTHENBURG/SWEDEN
The European Union (EU) has taken an important step towards cleaning up its recycling; it will no longer allow materials containing a class of toxic, globally banned flame retardants known as PBDEs to be recycled. Researchers had revealed that across Europe, alarming levels of toxic banned flame retardants and related… -
Declaration for the protection of Western Balkans Rivers demands the moratorium on construction of hydropower plants
17.12.2019 - SARAJEVO
A joint Declaration on the Protection of the Western Balkans Rivers has been adopted by participants of an International River Conference and several other environmental groups from Western Balkan and European countries. The signatories demand a moratorium on hydropower plants construction until the governments can ensure protection of the environment… -
Ukrainians got non-stop online access to air pollution data
9.12.2019 - KHARKOV / KRYVYI RIH / KRAMATORSK / ZAPORIZHIA
As a part of the international project Clear Air for Ukraine, the members of Ukrainian organisation Eco City, together with regional partners and with support from Czech NGO Arnika, presented the state-of-the-art public air monitoring stations “Oxygen”. The stations were installed in four industrial cities of Ukraine - Kharkiv, Kramatorsk,… -
Toxic pollution of soil confirmed in Northern Armenia
6.12.2019 - YEREVAN / ALAVERDI / PRAGUE
High levels of dangerous chemicals in the soil of Lorri Province were reported in an analysis published today by Arnika and the Center for Community Mobilisation and Support (CCMS). The industrial facilities of Alaverdi and Akhtala poison the neighbouring landscape with potentially carcinogenic effects. Czech scientists indicated arsenic and cadmium… -
Long awaited global ban on exporting hazardous waste to developing countries becomes law today. Electronics and shipping industry called "shameful" in seeking exemptions
5.12.2019 - SEATTLE
The Basel Ban Amendment, adopted by the Parties to the Basel Convention on the Control of the Transboundary Movement of Hazardous and Their Disposal in 1995, today becomes international law. This amendment, now ratified by 98 countries, and most recently, by Costa Rica, prohibits the export of hazardous wastes from… -
Breakthrough decision on contaminated sites at Minamata Convention on mercury COP 3
4.12.2019 - GENEVA
In a world-first, the environmental treaty named after the devastating mercury pollution tragedy in Minamata, Japan, has just announced its decision to release global guidance on the clean up of mercury polluted sites. After 4 years of hard negotiations and campaigning by IPEN, overcoming resistance from global powers such as the… -
Bamboo cups and tableware can release dangerous formaldehyde, says German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR)
29.11.2019 - BERLIN
The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) announced the release of a position statement on the use of food contact materials made from melamine-formaldehyde resin (MFH). These resins are recently more often combined with bamboo fibres as a filler and made into re-usable to-go coffee cups and tableware for food…
