U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
November 29, 2000
FACT SHEET: Overview on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs):
What The United States Has Done
and What The Global Convention Will Do
The Problem of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
- POPs pollutants are very stable chemicals used as pesticides, industrial chemicals, or produced as unintentional byproducts from most forms of combustion, including wood burning, industrial processes, power plants, and diesel engines. POPs pollutants cause serious harm to the environment and human health, including links to reproductive failure and cancer.
- The POPs pollutants are problematic because of several intrinsic characteristics: 1) toxicity,
2) potential to bioaccumulate in the food chain, 3) stability and resistance to natural breakdown, and 4) propensity for long-range transport.
- The U.S. has taken a leading role in multilateral negotiations to develop a legally binding instrument to eliminate certain POPs and greatly reduce emissions of POPs chemicals on a global basis.
- The global POPs agreement would initially cover the "dirty dozen" pesticides (aldrin, chlordane, DDT, deldrin, endrin, heptachlor, hexachlorobenzene, mirex, and toxaphene), and three industrial chemicals (PCBs) and unintentional byproducts (dioxins and furans) of industrial and combustion processes.
- The U.S. has taken strong domestic action to reduce emissions of POPs. None of the pesticide POPs are in use in the U.S. today after strong actions were taken to remove their registrations. The manufacture and new use of PCBs was prohibited or severely restricted by EPA in 1978. EPA has also taken strong action to reduce emissions of the byproduct dioxins and furans. By 1995, nearly an 80% reduction of dioxins was achieved based on these regulatory actions. When all current regulatory actions have been phased in by 2004, EPA projects an estimated reduction in dioxin emissions of 92%. EPA has also taken aggressive action to better understand the risks associated with dioxin emissions, and is expecting to release their dioxin reassessment in 2001. The reassessment is the premier scientific study of dioxins in the world, and will allow a better understanding of dioxin problems and public policy solutions.
- The U.S. called for global action on POPs at the 1995 Washington Conference on Land-Based Sources of Marine Pollution. The Canada-United States Strategy for the Virtual Elimination of Persistent Toxic Substances in the Great Lakes Basin was developed jointly and signed by the U.S. and Canada in 1997. The Strategy set long-term goals to promote emissions reductions of toxic substances. In 1998, the United States joined Europe and Canada in a regional approach for reducing POPs emissions by signing the Aarhus Protocol on POPs as part of the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution.
- Because of the characteristics of persistence and long-range transport associated with these chemicals, an augmented approach on a global scale is needed to encompass all sources of POPs pollution. This need has led to global POPs agreement negotiations.
The Global POPs Agreement Negotiations
- The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) is sponsoring negotiations to address the global problems of POPs. The fifth intergovernmental negotiating committee (INC-5) will meet in Johannesburg, South Africa, December 4-9, 2000, for the final planned negotiating session for the POPs agreement. Representatives from over 120 countries, non-governmental organizations, affected parties, and industry groups will be attending the session.
- The purpose of INC-5 is to complete negotiations on all remaining outstanding issues and produce an effective agreement that will successfully ban certain POPs and reduce POPs emissions on a global scale. Upon successful completion of an agreement at INC-5, the POPs agreement will be opened for signature in 2001.
- The United States has provided strong financial support for each of the five negotiating sessions, and will provide additional support as agreed in the negotiations to implement the treaty.
How the Global Convention will address the POPs problem
- The purpose of the agreement is to reduce releases of POPs chemicals on a global basis. The agreement will require all Parties to stop production and new uses of intentionally produced POPs, with limited exceptions. Parties will also be required to implement strong controls on sources of byproduct POPs to reduce emissions. In addition, a strong financial and technical assistance provision in the agreement will provide support to developing countries enabling them to implement the pollution reduction requirements of the treaty.
- The global POPs treaty will also include a listing of chemicals in treaty annexes specified for elimination or severe restriction; requirements for safe handling and disposal of POPs; and a scientific and procedural mechanism to allow for the addition of other chemicals to the agreement.
Additional Information
Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State.
Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov
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