Foreign waste issue remains unsolved

FM receives assurance from Kiev as regards agricultural waste

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Sri Lanka is still struggling to complete the re-exportation of 263 containers of hazardous waste, including body parts from mortuaries clandestinely imported during the previous administration from the UK. Amidst ongoing efforts to complete the process, Sri Lanka recently received a consignment of agricultural waste from Ukraine.

The Foreign Ministry Spokesperson said that the government was in the process of tackling both issues. She said so when The Island raised the issue of attempts being made to use Sri Lanka as an international trash dump.

The British garbage containers that had arrived at the Colombo Port between September 2017 and January 2018 were found in different locations during the previous administration. The process of reshipping them didn’t start until late Oct, 2020. As the yahapalana government with President Sirisena as the Environment Minister did not take action to send back the British waste, the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) petitioned the Court of Appeal.

The Island sought Foreign Ministry’s response to the following questions? “Did FM take up the UK garbage issue with BHC, Colombo or with relevant authorities in London through our HC there? If not, Why?

And finally, will FM take up Ukraine’s garbage issue with Kiev?”

The spokesperson said: “The Central Environment Authority (CEA), as the designated National Competent Authority for the implementation of the Basel Convention under Article 5, took necessary actions in this regard. Sri Lanka Customs facilitated re-exportation of the waste to the UK. The Foreign Ministry coordinated the communications between Government authorities in Sri Lanka and Government authorities in UK through its Mission in the UK and the British High Commission in Sri Lanka. The British High Commission also provided updates to the Foreign Ministry on the progress of the re-export and action being taken by the UK to expedite the process.

“Similarly, with regard to the Ukraine garbage issue, the Foreign Ministry has requested relevant Government authorities for details of the issue and the Ukraine Govt has also requested Sri Lanka for details to address the same.”

Hemantha Withanage, Executive Director, CEJ, told The Island that they had intervened as the then government had turned a blind eye to the foreign waste racket. Asked to mention the measures taken by the CEJ once the group realised the government wasn’t going to take tangible measures in this regard, Withanage said that initially the Court was moved against the Customs and the Central Environmental Authority (CEA). Subsequently, the Board of Investment (BoI), too, had been included in the case-the first of its kind undertaken, Withanage said, adding that during the proceedings it was revealed that the Ceylon Metal Processing Corporation (Pvt) Limited, freight forwarding company ETL Colombo (Pvt) Ltd and Hayleys Free Zone as those being involved in the operation.

Withanage said that at the time the CEJ moved the Court of Appeal, authorities had detected 130, 40 foot containers at one location and 112 at another before a third lot was found bringing the total number of UK garbage containers to 263. Withanage said that there was documentary proof that Vengaads Ltd, a foreign entity established in May 2017 arranged the shipment of garbage containers.

The environmentalist said that Sri Lanka should address the issue in such a manner so that no country would allow waste exports to Sri Lanka.

Responding to another query, the civil society activist said that the parliament should be concerned and proper measures should be adopted to prevent exploitation of Sri Lanka.

According to Withanage Sri Lanka so far sent back 133 containers, while the rest had been re-packed into 330, 20 foot containers and held under guard pending re-export.

Withanage emphasized a major effort was required to prevent Western countries from turning Sri Lanka into a trash dump. He stressed the importance of the government taking joint measures with other countries targeted for garbage exports and developing a mechanism to counter the threat.

The Gotabaya Rajapaksa government has appointed former JVP lawmaker Siripala Amarasinghe as the Chairman of the CEA.

Withanage warned of dire consequences unless an effective system was put in place to stop unscrupulous businessmen engaging in the lucrative garbage trade. The failure on the part of successive governments to take meaningful measures in that regard was worrying, he said.