Once again 50 years later, the Asbestos area is threatened by pollution. A demonstrator from the Joint Action Group against POPs (CLO) was arrested at the Magnola plant, a subsidiary of Noranda emitting POPs in the environment. His trial will take place at the Sherbrooke courthouse from March 25th to April 5th. Roch Lanthier will present a necessty defense where experts will demonstrate the toxicity of POPs, the neglect of Magnola and the urgency of the situation.

COMMUNIQUÉ

The CLO - Joint Action group against persistent organic pollutants (POPs).

Press release for immediate release

50 years later, Asbestos area once again threatened by pollution as evidenced in the coming trial of a demonstrator.

St. Adrien, March 4 2002 - A member of the Collectif de lutte aux organochlorés (CLO) (Joint Action Group against POPs), accused of interfering with police work during a pacific civil disobedience demonstration held at the entrance of the Magnola plant * in Danville, will stand trial in the Sherbrooke court-house March 25 - March 28 and April 2 to April 5.

During this eight-day trial the accused, Roch Lanthier, supported by the CLO, will present a defense of necessity. This type of defense, rather unusual in Quebec, will bring a new dimension to the struggle against POPs, amongst the world's most toxic pollutants. Prominent figures of scientific and environmental fields and expert technicians will demonstrate the nature and toxicity of POPs, the negligence of Magnola in the choice and application of their proces/, as well as the seriousness and urgency of the situation . It is precisely because of that urgency that the CLO blocked the accesses to the plant last May afterrevious attempts had proved unsuccessful.

Context:

. The decree and related permits allowing Magnola to operate were granted from 1998 to 2000 . This is the exact period of time during which the United Nations held the negotiations leading to the Stockholm Convention for restriction and virtual elimination of worldwide POPs production. Canada is the first of the 126 participanting countries to have ratifiy the convention.

.The Magnola plant operation decree was ordered by the Quebec Government against the recommendations of the Office of Public Environmental Hearings (BAPE) stating that the process should not emit any POPs, and preferably produce none.

.The Société générale de financement (SGF) is financing 20% of the Magnola operation from our own money.

. Numerous incidents (fire, broken pipes, spills, etc.) sometimes causing POPs emissions raise serious doubts on the reliability of this industrial process.

The list of persons and groups supporting the CLO's actions and the defense of necessity is growing continuously, and already includes the following:
Frédéric Back, Richard Desjardins, Michel Chartrand, Yves Mongeau, Armand Vaillancourt, Robert Silverman, Philippe Duhamel (Salami Operation), Daniel Green (SVP), l’Union paysanne, Sierra Club, Greenpeace, Artists for Peace, Friends of the Earth, Équiterre, Alternatives, Regroupement québécois des groupes environnementaux (RQGE) and many others.

* The Magnola plant, a Noranda subsidiary, produces magnesium from asbestos residues of the Asbestos city mine. The industrial process being used generates large amounts of POPs (BCP dioxins, furans, hexachlorobebzenes)

For more information contact:
Carol McKenty: Tel and fax: (819) 828-3476
Roch Lanthier: Tel: (514) 524-8088 and fax: (514) 524-8096
e-mail: clo...@hotmail.com
Internet: http://www3.sympatico.ca/epops

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