UN to help Iraq clean up toxic pollution after conflicts

[seemslikeadream]

GENEVA (AFP) Sep 14, 2004
The UN environmental agency said Tuesday it would help Iraq clean up highly toxic pollution incurred in a decade of instability or conflict, including depleted uranium from bombing by US-led forces.
The UN's Environment Programme (UNEP) will initially assess five priority environmental "hot spots", mainly industrial sites around Baghdad and Fallujah containing thousands of tonnes of toxic chemicals and pollutants that pose a direct threat to human health, officials said.

They include 5,000 tonnes of spilled chemicals at the Al-Doura refinery and a seed store where 50 tonnes of seeds coated with methyl mercury fungicide were recently looted, raising the threat of contaminated food supplies.

"We estimate that there are more than 300 sites in Iraq considered to be contaminated to various levels by a range of pollutants," said Klaus Toepfer, UNEP executive director.

more
http://www.terradaily.com/2004/040914135237.inan3dsc.html

[Briar]

1. Why aren't the people who caused the mess

cleaning it up?