60+ containers of hospital waste from USA and Dominican Republic discovered in the port of Santos

More than 60 containers with hospital garbage were found in the Port of Santos. The load came from the United States and the Dominican Republic and was shipped illegally to Brazil.

The first container was discovered in the Port of Santos because the Brazilian federal revenue service realized that the registry description did not match the description of the load. Inside were gloves, masks, and geriatric diapers pressed with cardboard. This container led to the other containers with hospital garbage.

Importing this type of material is illegal. The investigation will continue and involve the Ministry of the Environment, IBAMA, the police, and the federal revenue service. The case is being investigated as illegal trafficking of hazardous waste.

The Brazilian companies involved have already been identified and can be fined up to R$ 40 million. The fear of authorities is that cases like this are occurring in other Brazilian ports.

Five hundred tons of garbage sent to Brazil will be returned to countries of origin. The return shipment was established after customs work in the port of Santos, together with IBAMA.

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Last month, IBAMA, in Brasilia, received denunciations of domestic waste being sent to Brazil through the port located on the coast of São Paulo. The loads came from the United States, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic. They were declared as “paper shavings” used in the production of cardboard packaging. But when opened by supervision, 460 tons of various types of waste were found in 21 containers.

The crime generated fines of R$ 40 million and an obligation to return the waste to the country of origin.

Source: Agência Brasil

To read the complete original matter access the link:

https://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/radioagencia-nacional/geral/audio/2021-09/conteineres-com-lixo-hospitalar-sao-so-co-co-de-santos

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