PVC News: Formosa Plastics - PVC Producer - Fingered in White House Campaign Finance Scandal

[Neil Tangri <ntangri@essential.org>]

IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 8, 1999
For Additional Information - See Below

COALITION FINGERS FORMOSA PLASTICS, INC. IN
FOREIGN CAMPAIGN FINANCE SCANDAL
Taiwan-based PVC Maker Called Adept at Using Politics to Defend its
Pollution

 A coalition of environmental organizations today charged a Taiwanese
chemical company, Formosa Plastics, with involvement in the White House
foreign campaign finance scandal.  The coalition called for a full
investigation of the company's role, and any environmental regulatory favors
sought along with campaign donations.

According to a report issued by the groups, Winston Wang, Vice President of
the company's key subsidiary Nan Ya Plastics, had coffee at the White House
in June 1995 and pledged $100,000 to the Democratic National Committee.
These activities involved Yah Lin "Charlie" Trie, who pled guilty to
campaign finance abuses. It has been alleged that Trie channeled funds
illegally from foreign contributors to the DNC.

The report asks whether there was a quid pro quo for contributions. "For
instance, did the company seek assistance with the regulatory matters
pending in Texas, South Carolina and Louisiana at the time of the donation?
What about $6 million in federal grants and loans, issued after the campaign
pledge, for a pipeline to dilute wastewater of Nan Ya Plastics in South
Carolina?"

Formosa Plastics has been frequently cited in financial or environmental
abuses.  Examples in the report include:

- Allegations of financial and ethical abuses in the US and elsewhere.

-An ongoing effort to ship extremely hazardous waste from Taiwan to the US,
despite deaths and injuries after the same waste was dumped in Cambodia.

- Environmental violations and damaging discharges to air, water and land at
US and Taiwan operations.

-Endangering safety of workers, serious accidents, and alleged labor law
violations.

Formosa Plastics is the world's largest producer of polyvinyl chloride. he
groups wrote to Attorney General Janet Reno, and Dan Burton, Chair of the
House Government Oversight Committee, asking investigation of campaign
finance issues and any links to regulatory leniency.

The report was issued by grassroots environmental organizations having
experience with Formosa Plastics, including the Basel Action Network,
Calhoun County Resource Watch, California Communities Against Toxics,
Environmental Health Fund, GreenAction, Good Neighbor Project, Lynches River
Coalition, Taiwan Environmental Action Network and Washington Toxics
Coalition.

Additional Information:
Author Sanford Lewis (617) 489-3686
The report and other information are available at
http://www.enviroweb.org/gnp/formosa.htm

# # #

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS

TEXAS
Diane Wilson, Calhoun County Resource Watch
409 935-3904
Neil Carman, Sierra Club
512 472-1767

SOUTH CAROLINA
Wanda Stone-Vaughn, Lynches River Coalition
843 389-3725

LOUISIANA
Dan Nicolai, Neighbor-Labor Fund
225 647-5865
Mary Lee Orr, LEAN
225 928-1315


POLYVINYL CHLORIDE
Joe Di Gangi, Greenpeace
312 554-1029

Charlotte Brody, CHEJ
703 237-2249

Gary Cohen, Environmental Health Fund
617 524-6018
WASTE SHIPPING
Jim Puckett, Basel Action Network
206 720-6426

Bradley Angel, GreenAction
415 252-0822

Jane Williams, California Communities Against Toxics
805 256-0968

Laurie Valeriano
Washington Toxics Coalition
206 632-1545

UNION ISSUES
Richard Leonard
PACE
615-834-8590

TAIWAN ENVIRONMENT
Taiwan Environmental Action Network
Ms. Wenling Tu 510 620-9067



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  Sanford Lewis
  Strategic Counsel on Corporate Accountability
  PO Box 79225
  Waverly, MA 02479  USA

  617 489-3686

  Holding corporations accountable to
  community, labor and shareholders

   Email: gnproject@earthlink.net

  Consultancy: http://home.earthlink.net/~gnproject/consulting.htm
  Good Neighbor Project:  http://www.enviroweb.org/gnp

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