Australia Starts Cleaning Up The South Pole

Date: October 18, 2001

Source: News Room

Australia environmental officials have announced they will accelerate the clean-up of decades of waste threatening Antarctica's environment after a donation of specialized containers from France's Vivendi Environnement. The company will provide 240 specially modified containers and its services to help in the removal of an estimated 300,000 tons of waste left in Antarctica after a century of exploration and occupation. More than 40 countries operate in Antarctica, with Australia claiming over 40 percent of the continent. The Antarctic nations now follow a policy of removing solid waste from their snow-bound bases but waste from past decades remains, including batteries, waste oils and chemicals.

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