Agrees that DecaBDE flame retardant is one of the world’s worst chemicals
(Rome) Press release in English and Français: A UN expert committee recommended the global elimination of pentachlorophenol – a pesticide used for wood treatment including utility poles. In its recommendation for the Stockholm Convention, the Committee cited pentachlorophenol’s persistence, bioaccumulation, long-range transport, and its toxic impacts. The Committee found wide availability of non-chemical alternatives that were much safer than pentachlorophenol. Governments around the world will decide on the recommendation in May 2015, but typically accept the recommendations of its expert committees.
Press release:(Rome) The U.S. government is opposing international efforts to halt the global use of a toxic chemical, pentachlorophenol (PCP), used in the U.S. on wood utility poles, at the same time as a bipartisan group of New York state lawmakers are seeking a state ban, and a lawsuit, filed by a group of Long Island residents, charges that hundreds of new PCP-treated utility poles are causing serious injury to health and property values. This month, the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services added PCP to its carcinogen list, saying that PCP is “reasonably anticipated to cause cancer”.
In preparation for the 10th meeting of the Stockholm Convention's POPs Review Committee (POPRC), which will take place the last week of October in Rome, IPEN has developed a Quick Guide to IPEN Views on POPRC10 in English and français.
The meeting convened nearly 100 NGO representatives from more than 30 countries, with over 30 NGO representatives from China. It was conducted with simultaneous English / Chinese translation, and covered issues related to IPEN’s global operation, as well as: chemical safety and pollution victims in China, electronic waste, POPs and the Stockholm Convention, lead paint elimination, highly hazardous pesticides, nanotechnology, mercury pollution and the Minamata Convention, endocrine disrupting chemicals, and others.