INCINERATION BAN IN COSTA RICA

[Neil Tangri <ntangri@essential.org>]

Dear Friends,

Somehow the good news slipped beneath our radar screens. About two months
ago, in the lead-in to elections, Costa Rica issued a presidential decree
banning incineration.

Yes -- banned. Medical waste, municipal waste, hazardous waste, are all
banned. It is true that this is not a law, and so is less stable than the
Philippines ban, which was enacted by the entire legislature; this could be
overturned by the next president. But to me there is an equally important
lesson here: an incineration ban is seen by politicians as a populist move!
Clearly, they are starting to wake up to the fact that the people don't
want burners. The people have led and finally, the leaders are scrambling
to get in front of the pack. 

That's two countries down!

Neil 


--

Neil TANGRI
Essential Action
PO Box 19405
Washington DC 20036
USA

Telephone: +1-202-387-8030
Fax: +1-202-234-5176

http://www.EssentialAction.org