Basal convention

Basal convention is based on the trasnboundry movement of the hazardous wastes and their disposal.

History:  The strict regulations in the developed country guided them to dispose and recycle their hazardous waste in an environmentally friendly safe manner.  Due to the highest capital and operational cost, the hazardous waste was transported to developing and least developing countries where the regulations on hazardous waste disposal were not much strong. Earlier well developed countries considered developing countries as their dump sites.

Khian sea waste disposal incident

The khian sea cargo ship which was registered in Liberia carried incinerator ash from the city of Philadelphia in United States. They subcontracted to dump the ash in Bahamas. However Bahamas refused to accept the ash. Many regions of the world refuse the ash. Half of its load was dumped in a beach in Haiti before being forced away.

Koko in Nigeria- 1988

The Italian Company had obtained an import permit for disposal of no explosive, non-radioactive and non-self-combusting material. But the ships actually transported massive sludge, slurry and carcinogen. Five ships carried eight thousand barrel of hazardous waste from Italy to the small town of Koko in Nigeria. Nigerian businessman, Sunday Nana  a signed an illegal agreement with Italian businessmen Gianfranco Raffaeli and Renato Pent, of the waste broker firms Ecomar and Jelly Wax respectively. Italian companies were agreed to paid to use above Nigerian’s property for storage of 18,000 drums of hazardous waste with a payment of $100 a month. Due to the disaster come from the drums contain hazardous chemical drums, 13 people were dead and children were sick after five years of storage.

Basal convention was designed with following there aims.

1)      The reaction of hazardous waste generation

2)      Restriction of trasnboundry movement of hazardous waste

3)      Regulatory system for trasnboundry movement of hazardous waste

Basal convention was adopted in 1989. It was come into force in 1992.

Parties: 182 states and the European Union were signed and ratified. Haiti and the United states have signed and yet not ratified.

Regulations:

Article four describes the general obligations related to import and export of hazardous waste. Article five noted the designation of competent authorities and focal point for to facilitate the implementation of this Convention.

Seven annexes are documented under basal convention to regulate the trasnboundry movement of hazardous waste and their disposal.

·         18 categories of wastes to be controlled were listed under annex one. The categories included clinical waste and wastes from the manufacture, formulation and use from pharmaceutical products, phytopharmaceuticals, organic solvents, inks, dyes, pigments, paints, lacquers, varnish, latex, plasticizers, and glues/adhesives, and Polychlorinated biphenyl. Waste having certain hazardous constitutions were also listed under annexes one.

·         Under annex two, categories of waste those require special consideration were listed including wastes collected from households and residues arising from the incineration of household wastes.

·         Hazardous characteristic were listed under annex three including flammable, oxidizable , flammable solids  and organic peroxides.

·         Dispose operations were listed under annex four. Section A encompasses all such disposal operations which are not led to possibility of recovery, recycling, reclamation, directs use or alternative use. Section B encompasses all such operations led to possibility of recovery, recycling, reclamation, directs use or alternative use.

·         Annex five A documented the information to be provided on notification. Annex five B documented the information to be provided on the movement document.

·         Under annex six, seven articles were documented for arbitration.

In 1998, Annexes VIII and IX were added to the Convention by the fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties, to provide further elaboration as to the wastes regulated by the Convention as listed in Annexes I and III.

·         Annex eight listed the wastes that are characterized as hazardous under Article 1, paragraph 1 (a), of this Convention and their designation on this Annex does not preclude the use of Annex III to demonstrate that a waste is not hazardous.

·         Annex nine listed the waste that are not covered Article 1, paragraph 1 (a), of this Convention unless they contain Annex I material to an extent causing them to exhibit an Annex III characteristic.

Basal convention was not paid attention on the radioactive waste and waste drive from normal operation of ship.