During a press conference, Greenpeace presents the results of the study on the remediation of the chemical landfill Bonfol. The chemical companies from Basel (BCI; Novartis, Roche, Syngenta, Ciba SC, Clariant, SF-Chem, Henkel, Rohner) have produced significant quantities of dioxin and dumped it in Bonfol; then the only legal Swiss chemical waste landfill. We can expect a release of hazardous dioxins when the landfill will be remediated, as planned by BCI. It appears that BCI has not learned a lot from the devastating dioxin accident in Seveso in terms of information politics. For example, BCI says dioxin plays no role in Bonfol. Greenpeace demands far-reaching measures; a new, cooperative and, above all, competent project management has to fundamentally revise and adapt the remediation project of Bonfol, taking the presence of dioxin into account.
The study that was done on behalf of Greenpeace refuted the allegations of the BCI: Four production lines were investigated and they found a ton of dioxins and dioxin-like waste, including dioxins toxicity equivalents (TEQs) (double the allowed amount) and highly toxic Seveso-dioxin. Dioxins are among the most toxic chemicals known to humanity, and thus are prohibited internationally. Because Bonfol was the only legal chemical landfill of BCI in the period 1961-76, it was assumed that the dioxin waste of the companies was stored in Bonfol.