Your Postal Address &
Contact Details

TO:
The Minister for Health and Ageing, The Hon Tony Abbott MP

CC: Minister for Environment and Heritage, Senator the Honourable Ian Campbell

CC: Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, The Hon Warren Truss, MP

RE: Persistent Organic Pollution

Dear Sir,
As the governments of the world prepare to implement a global treaty for the phase out of persistent organic pollutants ('dirty dozen'), we call on the Australian government to support a POPs Convention that is strongly protective of public health and the environment.

Persistent organic pollutants, or POPs are dangerous intergenerational poisons, passing from mother to foetus in the womb. POPs have been described as 'poisons without passports', capable of travelling thousands of miles, persisting for decades and contaminating the air we breathe and the food we eat. Exposure to POPs is associated with cancer, reproductive abnormalities and neurological disorders in whales, seals, eagles, polar bears and many other species, including humans. In Australia, babies are now born already carrying a legacy of poisonous POPs in their small bodies.

More than 120 countries have signed on to this treaty banning the 12 most dangerous POPs, including dioxins and PCBs. Yet, the Australian government has argued that we do not need a goal of elimination rather we can simply reduce and manage these chemicals. We believe this is not feasible. The only option to protect humans, wildlife and the environment is the ultimate elimination of the deadly 'dirty dozen'.

Key elements of the POPs convention must include:
(1) Phaseout and elimination of POPs as the ultimate goal – applicable to every chemical subject to the treaty.
(2) Precautionary Principle governing both the objective and operation of the Convention, and be explicitly integrated in the provisions for adding new substances to the Convention,   
(3) Provisions of community right to know about the incidence of POPs contamination, POPs stockpiles and contaminated sites, and opportunities for real public involvement in their management,
(4) Provisions for adequate financial and technical assistance to enable all countries to implement the treaty.
(5) The use of science-based criteria for defining what is a POP, and a process which will allow for the addition of other POPs of concern beyond the initial twelve.
(6) Independence from the WTO and all existing and future trade agreements.

It is also essential that Australia does not request an exemption to the treaty for the continued use of the highly toxic, persistent pesticide MIREX on Australian mangoes. Not only does this represent a significant human health and environmental risk, it makes a mockery of Australia's claim to clean green agriculture.

Add you own comments here:



Yours Sincerely,

(Your name)