CONSEJO INTERNACIONAL DE TRATADOS INDIOS

Up-Date on the POP’s Treaty – Contaminants in the North

By Shawna Larson

It has been almost one year since the momentous signing of the Stockholm Convention, otherwise known as the POP’s Treaty which calls for the phase out and eventual ban on 12 of the world most toxic contaminants that are showing up in the Arctic food chain. In addition to the 12 chemicals named in the treaty there is language regarding the precautionary principal, which talks about the addition of new chemicals that are comparable to POP’s and will have similar environmental and health effects. There was much enthusiasm last year when Christy Todd-Whitman who is the administrator for the United States Environmental Protection Agency came forward in Stockholm to sign the United States onto the POP’s Treaty. There was much to celebrate with all the excitement and here we are now a year later – still waiting for congress to ratify the treaty.

There is speculation as to whether or not the Bush administration is trying to avoid ratifying the treaty. On February 4, 2002 Michele Brown met with representatives from Alaska Community Action on Toxics, Indigenous Environmental Network, International Indian Treaty Council and Center for Health, Environment and Justice. We discussed the issue of the treaty with Commissioner Brown and her response was that there is indeed some activity around the treaty now in Washington D.C. She reported that the state is waiting for correspondence from capital hill to find out what direction the administration is going with the treaty. We reminded her of the government-to- government responsibility that the U.S. has to tribes on issues such as these that directly impact Alaskan Native peoples. She agreed and invited as much support as could be provided by the tribes and other non-profit organizations.

Alaska Community Action on Toxics and Indigenous Environmental Network are still presenting the resolutions that we collected by over 50 tribes last year. We would like to encourage everyone to continuing to have a voice on these issues that are impacting us on a daily basis. Here are some suggestions:

Write to Michele Brown, Governor Tony Knowles and Senator Stevens and let them know that their support of the international POPs treaty is an important step for the administration. Alaska needs strong state regulations that work in concert with the international push to end contamination from persistent organic pollutants.

Governor Tony Knowles                                  Michele Brown, Commissioner

P.O. Box 110001                                               ADEC

Juneau, AK 99811                                     555 Cordova Street

Fax: (907) 465-3532 (Juneau)                                  Anchorage, AK  99501

e-mail: governor@gov.state.ak.us                   Fax: (907) 269-7600

                                                           e-mail: Michele_brown@envircon.state.ak.us

Honorable Ted Stevens

United States Senate

522 Hart Building

Washington D.C. 20510-0202

Fax: (202) 224-2354