Argentina has stepped up efforts to rid itself of polychlorinated biphenyls, drafting a National Plan for the Minimization and Elimination of PCBs. Unveiled in March and now awaiting the signature of President Fernando de la Rúa, the measure would reinforce a government resolution issued in April that calls for an end to the importation, fabrication and commercialization of PCBs. Officials say they hope to eliminate PCB wastes by 2005, replace PCB-based capacitors and other equipment by 2010 and clean up PCB-contaminated sites by 2020. While environmentalists here consider the plan overdue, they welcome the effort to eradicate PCBs, which have been shown to produce cancer in animals and are considered probable human carcinogens. “We look with great satisfaction on the government’s decision to... [Log in to read more]
