the toxic truth - Greenpeace

the toxic truth
In 2002 the District of Abidjan entered into an
agreement with a private company, Pisa-Impex
to manage the Akouédo dumpsite. Under
the terms of this agreement, Pisa-Impex was
authorized to collect waste from individuals
and from companies who collect domestic
rubbish, at the dumpsite, but this specifically
excluded toxic waste and industrial wastes. 482
The National Commission of Enquiry, however,
found that Pisa-Impex also received industrial
waste at Akouédo dumpsite in violation of its
agreement. 483
The District Governor, when interviewed by
police in the aftermath of the dumping, denied
that he held responsibility for controlling the
discharge of industrial waste. 484 He argued
that this was the remit of the Ministry for
Transport, which granted permits to discharge
such waste, and that any responsibility he
had held had been delegated. According to
The Port of Abidjan, 2 June 2010. © RoNAld de Hommel
the National Commission of Enquiry, this
statement had no legal basis and the law
mandating the district to manage waste did
not draw a distinction between domestic
and other types of waste. 485 The National
Commission also found that:
“ the Pisa-Impex agents who manage the
Akouédo dump were in grave violation of the
public service conceding contract clauses and
without any control from the Abidjan District.
The Commission also notes that the company
Pisa-Impex has no expertise to manage a dump
486
like Akouédo… ”
All these failures contributed to the toxic
waste being illegally dumped at Akouédo
dumpsite and around the city, as well as the
departure of the Probo Koala from Abidjan
without further investigation.
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Chapter 8