And now:LISN <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: IEN Urgent Alert! UN Dioxin POPs Urgency Subject: UN Dioxin POPs Urgency Date: Tue, 31 Aug 1999 00:05:54 -0500 From: Indigenous Environmental Network <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] CC: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], INDIGENOUS ENVIRONMENTAL NETWORK URGENT ALERT! U.S. Department of State Bows to Chemical Industry; Will Propose Plan But No Action in Global POPs Treaty U.S. Department of State Fails to Fulfill Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright's Committment on July 14, 1999 to Consult American Indians and Alaska Natives in the Shaping of Foreign Policy When It Affects Treaty Rights, Health and Resources of Indigenous Peoples. Send an Urgent Fax to U.S. Secretary Madeleine K. Albright before Friday, September 3rd! In just a few days, the U.S. and more than 100 governments will meet in Geneva, Switzerland to continue international negotiations toward a treaty meant to reduce or eliminate persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Indigenous Peoples from throughout the world including North America Indigenous delegates will be participating along with over 50 other non-governmental organizations (NGO's). POPs are a class of chemicals that includes highly toxic dioxins. These inadvertent by-products of waste incineration and other industrial processes have become common pollutants around the world. They have made headline news in Europe in recent months at the center of a food contamination scare, but are also a problem in the U.S. In fact, most Americans now carry enough dioxins in their bodies to cause serious health problems, including cancer and immune system disruption. This is an issue that disproportionately affects Indigenous Peoples of the U.S., especially those tribes that still maintain subsistence culture. High levels of dioxin poisoning have been found in fish populations in the traditional territories of the Yakama (Northwest), Penobscots (Maine), and many tribes within the Great Lakes water basin region and villages in Alaska. Indigenous Peoples already have weakened immune systems from diabetes and alcoholism causing more concern for greater health risks. The United States nor any of its federal agencies have never consulted the tribes and villages of the U.S. on it's policy position concerning dioxins and other persistent organic pollutants (POPs). The United States has an opportunity to take a leadership role in moving the world toward reducing and eventually eliminating man-made sources of toxic dioxins. But in a Department of State briefing last week, the U.S. delegation on POPs put forward its proposal for treaty language going into negotiations in Geneva next week. As outlined, the U.S. position on dioxin (or more generally, the by-product POPs) is extremely weak. Under intense pressure from industry lobbying groups including the Chemical Manufacturers Association and the Chlorine Chemistry Council, the U.S. State Department plans to propose removing existing language from the draft treaty, and replacing it with language that would require countries ONLY to develop action plans for dioxin and other by-products. While action plans are important and necessary, they are not a substitute for real action. There would be NO obligation to actually implement these action plan strategies or to achieve any emission reductions. Without bold steps to reduce dioxin emissions in all countries, we would be left with a treaty that takes no action at all on dioxin! There is still time to influence U.S. negotiators before they put their proposals on the table in Geneva. Representatives of environmental and public health groups from the U.S. and 30 other countries will be in Geneva. Representatives with the Indigenous Environmental Network will be there. But what is really needed is pressure from concerned citizens and tribes at home. Call, fax or e-mail a letter to Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright before the close of business, Friday, September 3, 1999. Send a copy of the letter via fax to the lead Department of State negotiator, Brookes Yaeger, at his hotel in Geneva. The fax number of his hotel in Geneva is listed below. Tell them that an action plan without any action is no plan at all. If you like, use the attached sample letter - but be sure to personalize your message for greater impact, and include your full name and address. Your letter, e-mail or faxes sent this week from the States will be waiting for the head of the U.S. delegation, Brookes Yeager, when he arrives in Geneva over the weekend for negotiations that start on Monday morning. Just 100 faxes calling for real action to eliminate sources of dioxin will make a powerful statement at a key moment in the negotiations! THE UNITED STATES - DEPARTMENT OF STATE HAS HEARD THE VOICE OF INDUSTRY-NOW THEY MUST HEAR THE VOICES OF CONCERNED TRIBES, NATIVE ORGANIZATIONS, TRIBAL CITIZENS AND HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUPPORT GROUPS ACROSS THE COUNTRY! WE DON'T WANT THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY TO WRITE THE FIRST GLOBAL TREATY ON DIOXIN. MADELEINE K. ALBRIGHT MUST RESPECT HER COMMITTMENT TO CONSULT WITH INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF THE U.S. AND FOR HER STATEMENT FOR INCREASED RECOGNITION AND RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AFFECTED BY MAINSTREAM FOREIGN POLICY ISSUES (statement made July 14, 1999 to U.S. Tribal Leaders, find at: <http://secretary.state.gov/www/statements/1999/990714.html> SEND YOUR FAXES, LETTERS OR EMAIL ON OR BEFORE SEPTEMBER 3RD! IMPORTANT: Because of Labor Day holiday, we're asking you send faxes on or before this Friday. For more information on the issues of POPs, dioxin, and the UN Treaty Meeting on POPs: http://irtc.unep.ch/pops www.psr.org/IPEN-Homepage.htm www.essential.org/cchw/campaign/campaign.html www.epa.gov/nceawww/dioxin.htm www.greenpeace.org/toxics.html www.worldwildlife.org/toxics www.alphacdc.com/ien THIS IS THE SAMPLE FAX -----> (you could re-format to your need, e-mail it, or snailmail) FAX To: Madeleine K. Albright, Secretary of State Fax: (202) 647-7120 cc: Brooks Yeager, U.S. Department of State, c/o Intercontinental Hotel, Geneva, Switzerland Fax: 011 41 22 919 38 38 Trigg Talley, U.S. Department of State, Ofc of Environmental Policy Fax: (202) 647-5947 From: [ENTER YOUR NAME, ORGANIZATION OR TRIBE HERE] Re: POPs Treaty/U.S. Position on Dioxin Date: September 3, 1999 Dear Secretary of State, Madeleine K. Albright: On July 14, 1999, you established rapport with American Indian and Alaska Native leaders by making a commitment to Indigenous Peoples as summarized in your quote, "As Secretary of State, my commitment is to ensure that this Department consults and works in good faith with you, just as I know you want to do with us. Because my mission is a foreign policy for America that reflects the aspirations of all the peoples in our midst." I am writing to express my concern about the proposed U.S. position on dioxin and other by-product POPs in international negotiations taking place next week in Geneva toward a treaty on reducing or eliminating persistent organic pollutants (POPs). This is the third treaty making session of the United Nations Environmental Programme's International Negotiating Committee (INC3) scheduled for September 6-11, 1999. As you know, dioxin is a pollutant of particular concern around the world, including in the U.S., where 46 states have issued advisories against eating local fish because of dioxin contamination. The average American adult receives 300 to 500 times the daily "safe" dose of dioxin through diet, and breastfeeding infants receive 50 times that amount. Dioxin has been linked to serious health problems, including cancer, immune system disruption, and reproductive and developmental problems. I am concerned about the elevated impact and greater health risk that dioxin contamination has upon our American Indian/Alaska Native population. Those tribes that still maintain subsistence and land-based culture are in great danger if action isn't taken that either reduces or totally eliminates dioxin emissions. Dioxin and other by products of POPs impacts almost all tribes that hunt, fish, gather, and that maintain livestock and agricultural practices. It is unfortunate the U.S. Department of State didn't consult with tribal leaders on this important issue that concerns the healthy future of tribal nations and the inherent right of tribes to practice traditional culture. The United States has an opportunity to take a leadership role in moving the world toward reducing and eventually eliminating man-made sources of toxic dioxins. But the Department of State's proposal that countries develop national action plans without reduction targets and timetables falls far short of this goal. As intergovernmental negotiations next week, please reconsider this proposal. If it is to be effective, a global POPs treaty must require more than plans for action - it must require real action to eliminate sources of dioxin. The U.S. should propose treaty language that emphasizes pollution prevention and a gradual phase-out of dioxin-producing materials and technologies. Emission reductions should be required where possible, and as soon as feasible, with the ultimate aim of elimination. This issue is a life and death issue to many of the Indigenous Peoples within the Arctic circle, the greater part of North America and throughout the world. Thank you for your attention to this very important issue. Sincerely, Contact names and addresses of the US Department of State delegation: Ms. Madeleine K. Albright (not going to be in Geneva) Secretary of State U.S. Department of State 2201 C. Street NW Washington, DC 20520 Tel: (202) 647.5291 Fax: (202) 647.7120 e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Ms. Brooke S. Yaeger (head of U.S. Team) Office of Environmental Policy U.S. Department of State 2201 C Street NW Washington, DC 20520 Tel: (202) 647-2232 Fax: (202) 647-5947 Mr. Yaeger will be staying at the International Hotel, Geneva, Switzerland Fax: 011 41 22 919 38 38 Mr. Trigg Talley Office of Environmental Policy (OES/ENV rm. 4325) U.S. Department of State 2201 C Street NW Washington, DC 20520 Tel: (202) 647-5808 Fax: (202) 647-5947 e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Mr. Brain Muehling Office of International Activities US Environmental Protection Agency Washington, DC 20460 Tel: (202) 564-6468 Fax: (202) 565-2409 e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Mr. Dick White Office of Pesticides, Prevention & Toxic Substances US Environmental Protection Agency Washington, DC 20460 Tel: (202) 260-3046 Fax: (202) 260-1847 e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Indigenous Environmental Network P.O. Box 485 Bemidji, Minnesota 56619-0485 USA Phone (218) 751-4967 Fax (218) 751-0561 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Internet Web Site: http://www.alphacdc.com/ien "An alliance of Indigenous Peoples empowering Indigenous communities towards sustainable livelihoods, environmental protection of our lands, water, air and maintaining the sacred Fire of our traditions." -- ================================================================ League of Indigenous Sovereign Nations of the Western Hemisphere "Many Nations, One People" L.I.S.N. is an alliance created to unite all Indigenous people of the Western Hemisphere into one great Confederation to politically empower our Nations as one people. mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] LISN Web Site: http://www.lisn.net ================================================================ To subscribe to the mailing list on the new server, please send an email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] with the content: subscribe league ================================================================ Disclaimer: This material is distributed in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107. All copyrights belong to original publisher. LISN has not verified the accuracy of the forwarded message. Forwarding this message does not necessarily imply agreement with the positions stated there-in. ================================================================
