Report is Critical of US For Dumping E-Waste Overseas

coondoggie writes "In what may be the least astonishing news of the day, some major US companies who say they are environmentally recycling electronic waste — aren't. Rather more startling — they are dumping everything from cell phones and old computers to televisions in countries such as China and India where disposal practices are unsafe to people and dangerous to the environment. Controlling the exportation of all of the e-waste plops on the doorstep of the US Environmental Protection Agency which is doing a woeful job, according to a scathing 67-page report issued by the Government Accountability Office today."

Comments

Mission Accomplished

[tcolberg]

I am thoroughly "shocked and awed" by the actions of the EPA under this administration, just like Mr. Rumsfeld would have wanted.

Re:Other countries to blame

[DNS-and-BIND]

OK, what do you do when your Chinese counterpart assures you that all measures will be taken, takes you on a tour of their modern facility, presents impeccable paperwork from the State Environmental Administration certifying him as a Grade-A eco-disposal facility...and then ships the waste out the back door to be processed on the cheap, making the boss big money? USA's fault to be sure. Inevitably in these situations, I hear something stupid like "well they should post inspectors every step of the way to make sure, it's still USA's fault". The Chinese don't like it when you overtly don't trust them. It causes breakdowns in relationships, and then you really will get screwed. And the really racist part is where the West automatically assumes that those yellow people couldn't possibly be held to "our" standards of health and environment.

Ah, like the Chinese proverb states, "It's patriotic to screw foreigners." Especially when the Chinese get off scot-free and USA gets the blame once again.