Haitian and U.S. activists continue to hold protests in front of the U.S. embassy in Port-au-Prince to demand the return of 4,000 tons of toxic waste from Haiti back to Philadelphia in the U.S.One protest took place on March 13 when U.S. and Haitian activists, led by a delegation from Witness for Peace, gathered with placards in front of the U.S. embassy. Reuters wire service quoted delegation leader Robin Hoy:
``Another country cannot dump on a country that is poorer than them and get away with it. It's a moral obligation we have as a country to take this back,'' said Robin Hoy, a leader of the Witness for Peace group.
Although U.S. law permitted the export of the ash even to Haiti, whose Constitution prohibited wastes imports, the U.S. embassy denied any responsibility. Reuters reported: "Officials at the U.S. embassy in Haiti said they had no plans to respond to the demonstration, calling the argument over the incinerator ash a matter between the Haitian government and a private company."
On Friday April 24th, a group from Voices for Haiti held another demonstration calling for the return of the ash. As part of the protest, the activists delivered a bag of the ash to the embassy. Reuters wire service reported:
"The delegation also asked for U.S. help to return over 4,000 metric tons of Philadelphia incinerator ash dumped on Haiti's northern shores in December 1987 by a U.S. company. The activists say the waste, carried to Haiti by the cargo ship Khian Sea, is laced with toxic chemicals."