THE WORLDS CLEANUP,

THE WORLDS CLEANUP, WORST 2013: PROGRESS, THE TOP TEN AND ONGOING TOXIC THREATS CHALLENGES This document was prepared by Blacksmith Institute and Green Cross Switzerland with input and review from a number of experts and volunteers, to whom we are most grateful. For questions, comments, and feedback, please contact: Angela Bernhardt Blacksmith Institute 475 Riverside Drive, 860 New York, NY 10115 +1 212 647 8330 angela@blacksmithinstitute.org Nathalie Gysi Green Cross Switzerland Fabrikstrasse 17 8005 Zurich, Switzerland +41 (0) 43 499 13 10 nathalie.gysi@greencross.ch TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction and Context 4 Flagging Polluted Places 4 From Ten to Many 4 Scope of the Problem 5 Toxic Pollution and Human Health 6 A ddressing the Identifed T o xic Threats 7 What Can Be Done? 7 The New Top Ten 8 Background and Rationale 9 Agbogbloshie Dumpsite, Ghana 10 Chernobyl, Ukraine 12 Citarum River, Indonesia 14 Dzershinsk, Russia 15 Hazaribagh, Bangladesh 16 Kabwe, Zambia 16 Kalimantan, Indonesia 17 Matanza-Riachuelo, Argentina 17 Niger River Delta, Nigeria 18 Norilsk, Russia 18 A Special Note on Fukushima 15 The 2006 and 2007 Top Ten: Where Are They Now?