Ecobreves – HONDURAS: A Bid to Curb Contaminants

By IPS Correspondents and - - Reprint | | Print |

TEGUCIGALPA, Jun 2 2008 (IPS) - Citizen groups and public and private organizations in Honduras have agreed to search for ways to regulate the trans-border movement of toxic pesticides. Such was the report to Tierramérica from Sara Ávila, of the National Committee for Chemical Management, who said that actions are being defined for eradicating the use of banned pesticides, like aldrin, chlordane, DDT (dichloro-dyphenyl-trichloroethane) and HBC (hexachlorobenzene), among others. The areas with highest distribution of these substances are being identified in order to begin campaigns to raise public awareness and make changes to public policies governing the use of these persistent organic pollutants, she explained.

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) is working with the National Committee on strategies to curb the use of these products — which are expected to be ready by the end of the year.