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Sri Lanka seeks compensation for dumping of garbage here
The Ministry of Environment has written to the Secretariat of the Basel Convention in Switzerland on seeking compensation from relevant parties involved in bringing down 263 containers of waste from the United Kingdom, thereby violating the “Basel Convention for the Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Waste.” Both the UK and Sri Lanka have ratified this treaty.
This week the Court of Appeal ordered the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) and the Customs to make arrangements to ship back the remaining 242 containers to the UK.
The waste that had been imported from the UK
Last month, in the presence of the Director General of Customs, 21 freight containers out of the total 263 were re-shipped following orders by the Courts. Initially there were 130 (40 feet) containers at the Katunayake Investment Zone, but after opening up, the waste was stored in 330 (20 feet) containers at Katunayake while the remaining were at the Colombo Port.
The CEA’s Hazardous Waste and Chemical Management Unit Director Ajith Weerawardena said they were waiting for a response from the Basel Secretariat on the compensation for violating the convention, and based on that legal action would be taken under the National Environment Act as well.
“We need to know whether the Government of the United Kingdom and or relevant parties that imported the waste should be held responsible for this,” he said.
Meanwhile, the environment group that filed a petition over the importing of waste containers, Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) was urging authorities to track down the ship and assure that the containers reach the UK as ordered by the Courts.
“Basel action network members in Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia have expressed concern that there is a possibility of the waste being retained in Asia. They are pressing us to make sure the waste shipments reach the UK as assured by authorities,” said CEJ’s Executive Director Hemantha Vithanage.
He said the organisation has asked the authorities to provide it with container numbers to make sure these containers reach the UK.
“We are tracking the container ship Seamax Norwalk that is carrying the 21 containers of waste and it is now heading towards Barcelona after stopping at Mundra port at Gujarat in India. But it is important to track down the containers to make sure they reach the UK,” he said.
Mr. Vithanage said the waste included used cushions and mattresses, clinical waste and plastic waste, that could threaten public health and bio diversity. Therefore legal action could be taken against the importers under the National Environment Act and the Customs Ordinance.
He said CEJ lawyers had received a confirmation by the International Waste Shipments division of the UK’s Environment Agency stating its willingness to accept the waste containers and that it would work with the CEA and the Customs on the repatriation of the containers.
Cutsoms Deputy Director Aqthar Hassen told the Sunday Times that a Customs inquiry had begun while the re-shipping process was to begin.
“Once the Customs inquiry is completed, it will be decided what action will be taken under the Customs Ordinance,” he said.
Mr Hassen said the ship carrying the 21 containers was being monitored.
“There is no way to release these containers in any other port without shipping documents. We are monitoring the shipping route,” he said.
Meanwhile in Colombo, the British High Commission said it would help assist the repatriation process where needed.
“The UK is committed to tackling the illegal export of waste. The UK Environment Agency is in close contact with its counterparts in Sri Lanka to ensure the remaining waste containers are repatriated as soon as it is practicable,” the High Commission said.