US Military's Toxic Legacy Exposed Hotspot:

Former US military base -- Clark Air Base -- Pampanga Province, the Philippines Issue: Recent environmental studies commissioned by the Philippine Government have confirmed that sites within the former US military base is severely contaminated with persistent organic pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), Dieldrin, Aldrin, Chlordane, Benzene Hexa Chloride and Heptachlor. The contamination is a result of US military activities in the Philippine base since World War II. One site within the base recorded 7800 parts per million of PCB. The study reports widespread dieldrin contamination in the groundwater in wells (some of which continue to be used as sources of drinking water). A municipal landfill, near a residential area in the town of Mabalacat, was found severely contaminated with dieldrin, BHC and Aldrin as result of the hazardous material dumped there by the US military. Newspaper reports in the Philippines report visible health effects in the communities living near the bases. Birth abnormalities and impaired intelligence among some children living nearby are suspected links to the presence of highly toxic life-threatening poisons left behind in the base by the US Government. The US Government has consistently evaded responsibility to clean up the contaminated sites within its former bases, even though it has paid and conducted full remediation of its sites in Europe and Japan.

For more information contact:
Von Hernandez, Greenpeace International (the Philippines)
Tel: +63 2 7408774
Telfax: +63 2 7401820
Email: von.hernandez

Website (International) greenpeace

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