[asia-apec 777] ECO APEC'93 WATCH Issue #4, Seattle, WA

[David E. Ortman]

Seattle, WA                                   November 20, 1993

                              APEC WATCH ECO

FINAL EDITION                                       No. 4
      
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ECO has been published by non-governmental groups at major
international conferences since the Stockholm Environmental
Conference in 1972.  This issue is produced cooperatively by
groups attending the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
Meeting in Seattle, Washington, USA, in November, 1993.
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NEWSFLASH:  APEC SECRETARIAT TO MEET NON-GOVERNMENTAL REPS

Non-governmental organizations concerned with labor, environment,
and human rights will meet today with the APEC Secretariat.  We
hope that this meeting will be a model for future annual
ministerial meetings.

CONTENTS:

WASTE TRADE     page 1
APEC EDITORIAL  page 2
INDONESIA       page 3
Taiga           page 4
Gremlin         page 5
Japan Reacts    page 5
Invitation      page 6

Greenpeace Reports. . .
WASTE TRADE TARGET: ASIA

Asia is currently being targeted by the world's waste traders as
an open market for unwanted wastes from industrialized countries. 
Without strict national laws, decrees, and policies or a regional
agreement prohibiting all imports of hazardous wastes, Asia is in
danger of becoming a dumping ground for vast quantities and
several dangerous types of wastes.

For example, between January and June 1993, the United States
exported more than 19,000 tons of wastes and toxic products to
Asia, including plastic wastes, scrap metal waste, and spent
lead-acid automotive batteries.  These shipments included at
least 2,000 tons of banned or unregistered pesticides to Asia.

Toxic trades have offered Asian countries countless poisons;
among the commonly offered toxic wastes and products:  asbestos,
incinerator ash, tire wastes, industrial chemical wastes,
municipal wastes, slag from metallurgical processes, leaded
gasoline, banned an never-registered pesticides, useless
pharmaceutical, plastic wastes, polychorinated biphenyls, lead
acid battery wastes, sewage sludges and used paints to name but a
few.  All of these materials contain or can produce upon
incineration, extremely toxic and harmful substances such as
heavy metals, dioxin and furans.

Almost every country in Asia has been targeted as a waste
dumpsite for wastes from industrialized countries.  In the first
six months of 1993 along, Greenpeace has documented more than 440
waste export schemes from the United States to Asian countries. 
However, this number is clearly just the tip of the iceberg of
the number of schemes from all industrialized countries to the
region.

Additionally, the number of waste shipments to Asia as a whole,
as well as to certain countries, is increasing.  For example, for
the first six months of 1992 and 1993, the actual number of waste
shipments from the United States to Asian countries increased
from 422 to 440 shipments.

As Asian countries are alerted to the environmental, political,
and social menace posed by waste imports, Asian countries are
developing national legislation to halt the waste trade pirates. 
For example, in 1992, the Indonesian Government banned waste
plastic imports.  Greenpeace discovered that in 1992, 90% of all
hazardous waste export schemes from industrialized to developing
countries came under the guise of "recycling," recovery,"
"further use," or even as "humanitarian aid"  Thoughout Asia,
waste traders invariably present their proposals as "development
plans" that will bering jobs, roads, energy, hospitals, housing
and money.  The proposals never mention the "development plan's"
environmental and health implications.
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EDITORIAL:

After the last trade minister has made the last trade, and the
last Head of State has motorcaded out to the airport, one thing
is clear.  APEC will never by the same.  Ambassador Bodde refers
to APEC as a baby.  Two new babies, Mexico and Papua New Guinea
have been added to the nursery.  But APEC needs to be potty-
trained.  A good does of citizen activism, environmental
journalism (the APEC WATCH ECO newsletter) and one-on-one
lobbying ha proven that democracy is a good thing and future APEC
meetings should accommodate it.
Saturday, while Heads of State congregate on Blake Island State
Park in the middle of Puget Sound, an estuary with sick fish and
closed shellfish beds, we urge President Clinton to take a
chapter from Section 101(c) of the Federal Clean Water Act. 
Passed in 1972, Congress mandated the President, working through
the Secretary of State to use all possible means to achieve zero
discharge of pollutants into waters of the countries, not just
our own.  A declaration that Pacific Rim trade will not be
conducted at the expense of the Pacific Ocean and its bays and
estuaries would be a powerful signal that the era of "Trade Uber
Alles" has come to an end.
Log, cigarette and waste exports are obvious examples of how
'trade balances' and 'economies' are built on the hidden impacts
to the Pacific Rim's citizens and environment.
Finally, above all else, APEC must not pursue a closure of the
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade round by next month in the
absence of an integration of environmental, human rights and
labor issues into the GATT.  We can not afford to let APEC stand
for "A PERMANENT ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS."
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WASTE: A DEADLY BUSINESS
(The following article was written by WALHI, Friends of the Earth
Indonesia)

A government decree issued in Indonesia in 1992 banned plastic
waste imports.  Since then more than 5,000 tonnes of waste have
been illegally imported. 

Indonesia has not resolved its own domestic waste problem yet
waste imports from America, Europe, Japan and Australia are
arriving at Indonesian ports under the guise of western
countries' recycling programmes.  However, only 60% of the
imported waste can be recycled:  the remaining 40% is
unrecyclable and at least 10% is contaminated by toxic or
hazardous waste.
WALHI/FoE Indonesia, the Jakarta Social Institute and scavenger
groups are concerned by the impact of waste imports not only bon
the environment and public health, but also on the incomes of
2000,000 local scavengers, which have decreased by 50 to 75
percent since Indonesia began to import waste in 1988.  The irony
is that scavengers provide Indonesian cities with free recycling
services which keep the environment clean and save the cities
millions of dollars annually in waste disposal costs.

The recycling potential of the waste industry makes it an
extremely lucrative business.  Waste imports are paid substantial
sums to receive materials for recycling in Indonesia which are
considered waste by the exporting countries. US $40 and $60 per
tonne for toxic and hazardous imports are not uncommon sums,
whereas countries in Europe demand $160 to $100 pr tonne to
receive such waste.  From these figures it is easy to see where
the waste ends up.

Controversy surrounding the waste imports intensified after the
Government scheduled an auction to disperse the 5,000 tonnes of
waste imported illegally since the ban went into  effect. 
However, just one week before the event, President Suharto
ordered that the imported waste be destroyed.  Government
officials were not interested in pursing alternatives to the
President's directives,  and balked at WALHI's suggestion that
the wastes be returned to their countries of origin.

WALHI has not so far met with success with appeals to embassies
requesting that governments take full responsibility for the
waste imports originating int heir respective countries and cover
the costs of shipping the waste back.

Indonesian NGOs and scavenger communities continue their efforts
to re-export waste to its country of origin, and are
simultaneously working to put an end to the water trade to
Indonesia.  WALHI is launching a letter-writing campaign to
Indonesian President Suharto urging the government to enforce the
existing ban on plastic imports and to return the illegal
imports. This should send a clear message that developing
countries in the Southern hemisphere and eastern Europe are not
dumping grounds.
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APEC INVESTMENTS THREATEN RUSSIAN TAIGA

Numerous developing countries in the Pacific Rim, who are members
of the Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), face the burden
of servicing enormous foreign debts.  In a struggle to gain hard
currency to meet debt payments these countries have been forced
to export natural resources such as timber and valuable minerals
in an unsustainable manner.

Although Russia is not a member of APEC it serves as an excellent
example of unsustainable resource management in the Pacific Rim. 
Russia's current economic malaise and need to service its debt
threats to accelerate destruction of the Taiga, Russia's boreal
forest in Siberia.

The Taiga

The Taiga is situated in the sub-Arctic region of Siberian
Russia.  Its size is unparalleled measuring 1.6 billion acres and
is about three times the size of Brazil's rainforest.  There are
about 30 million inhabitants, including 24 indigenous groups
numbering one million people.  The Taiga has 54% of the world's
coniferous forests, 37% of the world's temperate forests and
makes up 21% of the world's total forest area.  The Taiga is also
home to many rich mineral resources such as deep reserves of oil,
natural gas, coal, diamonds and gold.

Besides being endowed with valuable economic resources, the Taiga
also serves an important global environmental function.  Combined
with the Tundra, the Taiga contains well over one-half of the
total amount of carbon held in forests and soils globally, far
grater than the amount stored in the Amazon.  The Taiga is home
to numerous rare animal species such as the Siberian tiger, the
great grey owl and reindeer.

Unfortunately the Taiga is undergoing unprecedented development. 
The Taiga is currently being cut at the rate of 5 million acres
per year.  This deforestation is a substantial contributor to
global warming and a threat to its biodiversity.

The rare animal species will continue to be displaced and are in
danger of extinction if this destructive development pattern
continues unabated.

APEC Countries and the Taiga

Deforestation of Southeast Asia and the depletion of forests in
the United States have forced foreign countries to search
elsewhere for a constant supply of timber.  The Taiga with its
expansive quantity of wood has been an attractive location for
foreign timber companies, mainly from APEC member countries, to
supply their timber and paper industries.  In fact, after the
fall of the Soviet Union, timber and paper companies from the
United States, Japan and South Korea began offering Russia modern
equipment, expertise and hard foreign currency in the Taiga
region:

* The Russian Supreme Court recently blocked operations by the
Hyundai Corporation from South Korea.  Hyundai had a contract to
cut 6000,000 of Siberian timber over the next 30 years beginning
in 1991.  However, Russia's Regional Committee on Ecology and
Natural Resources (RCENR) reported that South Korean loggers had
been poaching wildlife, reneging on their obligation to reforest
and overcutting in some areas of the region.  Hyundai had also
received numerous negative environmental impact assessments on
their activities from the local Goskompiroda, the State Committee
on Nature Protection.

* Weyerhaeuser, from the United States, is discussing the
possibility of a logging, processing and replanting operation in
the region.  In exchange for a nursery and restoration project,
Weyerhaeuser wants a 20 year lease to cut on more than 40,000
acres in the region.

*  U.S. timber companies Louisiana Pacific and Georgia Pacific
have also approached the Russians for timber contacts in the near
future.

Russian cannot afford to continue to rely on the fragile Taiga as
a source of hard currency to relieve its debt burden of 80
billion U.S. dollars.  The increased deforestation presents a
special problem for the Taiga region.  The clearcutting methods
employed by timber companies make it more difficult for the Taiga
region to reforest due to its severe conditions.  Roughly half of
all forests similar to the Taiga become swamps after enormous
timber harvests.  The resulting damage from such unchecked
development is unfathomable and counters Russia's ability to
achieve sustainable development.
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YOU ARE INVITED:

In the absence of a Pacific Rim town meeting hosted by President
Clinton, the Seattle Citizens Host Committee invites people to
the following rallies:

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 19th - NOON -
"CLEARCUT COSTS OF PACIFIC TRADE"

Pike Place Market/Victor Steinbreuck Park with:

MITCH FRIEDMAN - Director, Greater Ecosystem Alliance
MICHAEL DONNELLY - Friends of Breiten Bush Cascades, Oregon
PAUL CIENFUEGOS - Friends of Clayoquot Sound, B.C.
PETE KNUTSEN- Puget Sound Gillnetters Association/ AND MORE. . .
Contact: Josh Marks, Western Ancient Forest Campaign  632-6041

SATURDAY - 20th NOVEMBER - 7:00 am.  PIER 62 off of Alaskan Way
"FAIR TRADE FLOTILLA"

APEC BLACK ISLAND SUNRISE SENDOFF RALLY

Come and watch Greenpeace and the Puget Sound Gillnetters
Association FLOTILLA. Depart 7:30 pm. FLOTILLA RETURNS at 10:30
am and will join the BIG RALLY AT WESTLAKE CENTER AT NOON. 
Contact: Cynthia Rust or Nick Morgan, Greenpeace 632-4326

SATURDAY - 20th NOVEMBER - 11:30 am March from IBEW Local 46 Hall
- 2700 First Ave, Seattle, to a NOON Rally- WESTLAKE PLAZA - Down
Town Seattle
THE HIDDEN COSTS OF FREE TRADE- PEOPLE'S APEC RALLY HUMAN
RIGHTS - ENVIRONMENT - LABOR FAIRNESS

Speakers: Dolores Huerta, Co-founder and first vice president,
United Farm Workers of America, AFL-CIO -  Rev. Dr. Robert L.
Jeffrey, Sr., Executive Director, Black Dollar Days Task Force -
Run Judd, Executive Secretary, King County Labor Council, AFL-
CIO, Mark Dubois, Ex. Director, WorldWise
Contact: Washington State Jobs with Justice, 206-448-7348
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GREMLIN

* The best technology war does not go to Boeing, but to the push
button espresso/latte machine in the Press Lounge.  A bit large
for your kitchen, but it might fit on Air Force One.

*  Gremlin is no weather forecaster, but notes that Seattle and
your home city have this in common: Mount Rainier can't be seen
from either place.

* Gremlin is no tour guide, either, but before you leave check
out the famous Underground Seattle tour of Pioneer Square. 
Approximately 40 square blocks of Seattle that lie beneath your
feet, a portion of which you can explore as a part of a guided
tour.  While your are down in the deep depths of this fir city,
see if you can find some of these missing APEC terms:  STAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT - POLLUTER PAYS - GLOBAL WARMING - GREENING OF THE
GATT - RIO EARTH SUMMIT.

* Gremlin salutes this week's "Great American Smokeout" designed
to help U.S. citizens quit smoking.  How ironic that in 1992
Washington State's eighth biggest export was CIGARETTES,
accounting for $451.6 million dollars.  There is something wrong
with a trade system that values products that kill the same way
as medicine that heals.
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JAPANESE REACTION TO NAFTA AND APEC

"The Debate about the NAFTA included the environmental impact of
the agreement as a high priority.  But APEC is virtually ignoring
the environment in its discussions.  Let's see a bit more
commitment to the long-term well-being of the Asia Pacific
region, not just to trade growth.

"We are disappointed that this meeting of APEC has committed no
time to cover environmental concerns.  It is only a year after
the UNCED meeting in Rio de Janeiro, where governments expressed
their commitment to solving environmental problems.  The next
meeting of APEC in Indonesia would ensure that environment is
high on the agenda."

Aya Saitoh, Friends of the Earth Japan

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ECO is a publication of the Non-Governmental Organizations
present at the APEC Meeting to present alternative trade models
that incorporate sustainable development, poverty alleviation
measures and the protection of the environment.

Staff:

Karen Fant
Alex Hittle
Emily Kaplan
Hug Llamas
Nick Morgan
David E. Ortman
Ita Rachmita
John Reese

The editorial office can be reached at 206-XXX-XXXX, FAX XXX-XXXX
e-mail: foewase at igc.apc.org

ECO wishes to thank the organizers of the Seattle Citizens' Host
Committee, who seized the opportunity to work together as members
of an umbrella coalition of environmental groups, human rights
advocates and labor organizations under the theme - THE HIDDEN
COSTS OF FREE TRADE.