US Embassy rejects Clark toxic waste

Twenty-six environment activists were arrested yesterday after they dumped 40 liters of toxic industrial-chemical waste in a container van at the US Embassy in Manila yesterday.

The embassy refused to accept the "accident-proof receptacle" of polychlorinated biphenyls, a substance that can damage the liver. The container van now sits at Rizal Park.

Marked "Danger, Toxic - Property of the United States," the van's contents were collected from various residential areas near the former US air force base at Clark Field in Pampanga.

"We are delivering this toxic cargo back to its rightful owner," Von Hernandez of Greenpeace told reporters. "The US government should take immediate custody of these hazardous materials and accept responsibility to clean up the contamination in Clark and Subic."

The 3 by 2-meter container van was transported to the embassy gate on a forklift driven by Peter Wilcox, skipper of the Greenpeace ship, Rainbow Warrior.

"This is not a symbolic cargo, this is the real stuff," Wilcox said. "The material has been lying around in communities surrounding Clark, creating problems for at least the last five years. We are reminding the US government of its moral duty and obligation to clean up the mess its military left behind in the Philippines."

Wilcox and 25 other Greenpeace activists were arrested by the Manila police after the embassy called for police assistance.

"I am not concerned with anything they will charge me with," Wilcox said after his arrest for traffic obstruction. "What I am concerned about is the toxic waste the American government left behind that is causing several residents in Pampanga to be ill."

Meanwhile, the US Embassy said yesterday that "the era of US bases is clearly over" as it thanked residents of former military bases at Clark and Subic for hosting US troops.

"The United States seeks to engage defense arrangements that are relevant to our times and in ways and at a pace comfortable to the Philippines," said US deputy chief of mission Michael Malinowski during Thursday's symbolic turnover of an elementary school constructed by Philippine and US troops.

Malinowski said the variety of civic action projects and humanitarian assistance programs could improve the quality of life of residents around the exercise areas.

Filipino and American soldiers also built dental clinics and took part in medical and dental missions in places near the site of the military exercises.

"To date, for example, the medical clinics have treated over 2,500; the optometry clinics approximately 700; and the veterinarians over 400 large animals and approximately 1,700 small animals," Malinowski said.

He said the US government is willing to help refugees from Mayon volcano's eruption, and that he was part of the US military-civilian team that visited the affected areas to assess relief operations.

"Knowing that US and Philippine military are working closely together not only to enhance their capabilities but also to improve people's lives will foster stability and promote peace and development."

US troops began arriving last Jan. 28 for the military exercises, and war games started on Feb. 15.