kerene - 2006 ivory coast toxic waste dump

7/28/2019 Kerene - 2006 Ivory Coast Toxic Waste Dump

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2006 Ivory Coast Toxic

Waste DumpDone by: Kerene Bent


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In September eight people died and over 80,000 had to seek

medical treatment for symptoms including vomiting,

nosebleeds and breathing difficulties in Abidjan, the maincity of the West African country of Ivory Coast.


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The cause of the deaths and medical problems was the dumping of toxic

waste at around 14 sites around the city.

The toxic waste, over 500 metric tonnes, had been brought from Europe

by an old tanker, the Probo Koala.


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The Greek owned ship registered in Panama was on hire to the

Dutch oil trading company Trafigura Beheer BV.

There were protests in Abidjan over the deaths and illness caused by

the toxic waste.

The cabinet of Prime Minister Charles Konan Banny resigned as a

result of the health emergency, though Banny has quickly formed a

new cabinet containing most of the previous ministers


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Risk Assessment

Symptoms have included nosebleeds, nausea and vomiting,

headaches, skin and eye irritation and respiratory symptoms.

According to physicians on duty during the first days after the waste

was dumped, the most severely affected patients presented

respiratory distress, dehydration and intestinal bleeding.


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Risk Communication

The Estonian prosecutor's office said its tests found the

chemicals in Probo Koala to be toxic.

Trafigura countered that its own tests showed that the

chemicals had little or no toxicity


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Vulnerable Groups Affected.

In Ivory Coast, the most disadvantaged sections of the community live in

closest proximity to legal landfill sites and garbage dumps.

Poor families this includes; Adults, children were affected by the toxic

waste.

The report stresses that children were the most vulnerable group.


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Risk Management

On September 17, 2006, French technicians

helps clean up the toxic waste in Abidjan.

The Prime Minister order a clean up of the toxic

waste around the Countrys Capital.


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Risk Management cont

Different team came on board to tackle the waste in

Abidjan, water was used to wash away some of the liquids.

A team from World Health Organization is coordinating the

public health responses to the incident.


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References

A. 2002 Environmental Crime and Pollution wasteful

reflections.

Environmental Genocide: Native Americans and Toxic

Waste: America Journal of Economics and Sociology.

kerene - 2006 ivory coast toxic waste dump

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