Trans Boundary Movement of Hazardous Waste
Haaretz, Green + MagazineTzvi Levinson & Gil Dror, Adv. June 2008
In 1992 the Basel Convention, regulating the trans boundary movement of hazardous waste was signed. The initiation of the convention was due to the large number of cases discovered, and many others that have not seen, in which illegal transport of hazardous waste occurred for the purpose of financial gain. These events occurred when hazardous waste, in countries where hazardous waste treatment costs were higher, transferred, through lies and deception, to countries where it was dumped without treatment, causing major damage to humans and the environment.
Israel has signed and ratified the Convention. Its implementation in Israel was through regulations under the Hazardous Substances Law, governing the import and export of hazardous waste. The regulations were revised significantly over time. The article reviews the international events which led to the signing of the Basel Convention and the legal implications of the Israeli regulations.