| Home / International / International -- Cultural Sidelines | Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read |
| GEF Helps China Phase Out Persistent Organic Pollutants |
| Adjust font size: |
The World Bank said on Monday that it had approved two projects to help The Chinese government had taken rapid action to eliminate key POPs targeted for elimination worldwide due to their impacts on human health and the environment, the bank said in a statement. The bank said POPs were a major environmental concern as they were responsible for causing neurological damage, immune system disorders, cancer and a host of other health problems. "POPs persist in the environment for many years, travel long distances and accumulate in the food chain, causing harm not only where they are produced and used, but globally," said the bank. In the last six months, the government had completed preparations for the first two POPs elimination projects and secured for their implementation GEF grants of US$32.7 million. The first project, Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) Management and Disposal Demonstration Project, was approved by the World Bank board of executive directors in December last year as a pilot policy with institutional and disposal measures to eliminate PCBs in Zhejiang Province, east China. PCBs are broadly used in electrical equipment and cause widespread contamination of their storage sites. The project would demonstrate environmentally sound policies, and cost-effective approaches for safely disposing of PCBs, PCB waste and decontaminating PCB sites, it said. The total cost of the project would exceed US$35 million, of which more than half was funded by The second project, the Demonstration of Alternatives to Chlordane and Mirex in Termite Control Project, was approved by the World Bank last week to eliminate the use of two highly toxic pesticides. The first project of its kind in the World Bank or GEF portfolio, it would help The project would cost US$27.7 million, approximately half of which would be funded by The projects form the foundation of the China POPs program to implement the Stockholm Convention. Helen Chan, the World Bank coordinator for the POPs program in the "They will generate useful lessons for the complete elimination of PCBs, chlordane and mirex not only in The Chinese government is also finalizing a national implementation plan to phase out all 12 POPs targeted for elimination under the Stockholm Convention. The convention entered into force in May 2004 and has 151 signatory countries. (Xinhua News Agency July 4, 2006) |
| Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read |
 |
| Related Stories |
|
| ? |
