Greenpeace Targets Chemical Firms In Switzerland To Pay For Environment Damage

Base, Switzerland (AHN) - Environmental group Greenpeace on Wednesday staged a protest to urge two chemical companies Ciba and Syngenta to pay into a special fund for the clean up of toxic waste dumps around the city of Basel.

Nearly 30 activists climbed chimneys of a company headquarters in Basel and called on Ciba and Syngenta to pay at least $595 million to an independent foundation. The money would go towards clearing up toxic waste in the areas for which they are responsible. Greenpeace wants Ciba to pay $400 million and Syngenta to pay half that sum.

Both Ciba and Syngenta said there were no plans to join the foundation, launched by the pharmaceutical company Novartis as they have already put aside money for their own reserve fund.

In 2007, Ciba paid out $420 million to compensate for its environmental damage while Syngenta had put aside $450 million for its global environmental responsibilities.

Greenpeace alleges that a toxic waste deposited at several sites up to the late 1950s was a threat to the drinking water of the region and was causing cancer.