Environment, Australian December 1st 1997 By Robin Bromby
Asian industrialisation has created a toxic waste crisis - and it will cost millions of dollars just to research the extent to which chemicals have moved through soils and ground water, a report says.
The report, by Honolulu-based East-West Centre, says hazardous waste threatens millions of people in Asia, a "booming region that seems intent on industrialising at any cost".
The report author, David Nelson is chairman of the Pacific Basin Consortium for Hazardous Waste Research and management, which is based at the centre.
In 1995, China alone produced more than 650 million tonnes - half a tonne per person - of hazardous waste and, by 2005, it will be producing more than 1 billion tonnes a year.
Asian countries generally lack zoning regulations to control dangerous plants, so that in China about 80 percent of factories generating hazardous waste are in central city areas.
Studies of ground water in China have shown that lead levels are as great as 35 times that allowed by the country's drinking water standard.
One metal-plating waste site in Shenyang has adulterated the ground water for 20 towns, causing widespread health problems and deaths.
Several hazardous waste dumps in Malaysia have polluted rivers kilometers away.
"When Asia decides to clean up its chemical disposal sites, it will first have to spend millions of scarce dollars researching the movements of chemicals through soils and ground water," the report says. (Ed As many other Western countries are now finding).
"The lack of basis infrastructure makes it impossible to keep up with ever - increasing amounts of waste."
China has more than 6.6 billion tonnes of toxic waste in storage covering nearly 55,000 ha. With a lack of disposal facilities in Asia, many multinational companies are shipping their hazardous waste to the US, Canada and the UK, but these movements are often delayed by the need for government licences.
Meanwhile, there are companies and countries trying to use Asia as a dumping ground.
The report says the US sends lead - acid batteries to Asia for recycling. The lead may be recovered but the acid and other battery contaminants are dumped into the environment.
Professor Nelson said Asian leaders had the chance to make pollution prevention a corner - stone of industrial policy, rather than playing an expensive clean-up game later.
"Asian governments seem to believe that a clean-up can come after economic development," he said. "The US experience, however, shows that it is a matter of pay now or pay much more later."