Toxic Water Flows from Jeans Plant

In Lesotho, Locals Suffer Burns, Chest Infections from Noxious Waste at Factor Supplying Denim to Gap, Levi's

(CBS) There's a disturbing report today of dangerous waste being dumped by a plant in Africa which manufactures blue jeans for American consumers.

Both Gap and Levi Strauss are investigating the alleged dumping at the plant in Lesotho in southern Africa, as CBS News correspondent Sheila MacVicar reports.

On the outskirts of Maseru, dozens of children - the poorest of the poor - scavenge at a huge municipal dump for anything useful - anything they can sell.

A months-long investigation by the London Sunday Times found tons of illegally dumped waste from garment manufacturers including suppliers of major denim manufacturers Levi Strauss and Gap.

Among the scraps of denim and discarded clothing tags are hidden dangers.

"We found razors, sharps and needles that are traditionally used in textile machinery. So there's a lot of hazardous waste," said Dan McDougall, Africa correspondent for the London Sunday Times.

The dump is constantly burning. Acrid smoke fills the air. Most of the children have chest infections. People complain of skin irritations.

One woman told CBS News that her hands and arms were covered in sores after she touched chemicals sometimes found there. "I couldn't stop the itching," she said.

The garment industry and international contracts with Gap and Levi have brought thousands of desperately needed jobs to Lesotho. In exchange for those contacts, manufacturers are supposed to adhere to strict codes of social and environmental responsibility.

Full Article: www.cbsnews.com...

It seems like we are doing more and more bad things to Africa! We need to hold these companies responsible! Either find a way to deal with the waste, find a different way to make the product, or cancel the product all together!

The garment industry and international contracts with Gap and Levi have brought thousands of desperately needed jobs to Lesotho. In exchange for those contacts, manufacturers are supposed to adhere to strict codes of social and environmental responsibility.

I disagree with the premise of the statement.

Lesotho, desperately needed jobs. They did not need to disrespect the community by exploiting that desperation in the name of revenue. They were desperate enough to disregard the safety of their citizens. And the 'garment' industry seized upon that circumstance to accommodate the increased revenue flow of low-cost labor - as usual.

This is but a small example of the hazards of globalization for profit... or as we are told to call it: 'a new world order.'

[edit on 2-8-2009 by Maxmars]