[Passed] Toxic Heavy Metals Act

[Treize Dreizehn]

Toxic Heavy Metals Act
Category: Environmental | Area of Effect: All Businesses | Proposed By: Kaboomlandia The World Assembly,

Realizing that toxic heavy metals are an international concern due to their toxicity and potential for bioaccumulation, thus negatively affecting personal health and natural ecosystems;

Acknowledging that toxic heavy metals and their compounds steadily build up through food chains, poisoning organisms and affecting sapient beings that make their livelihood off the land and sea;

Seeking to create sensible legislation that steadily replaces them with safer alternative materials at a pace appropriate to each member state;

The General Assembly hereby,

1. Defines "toxic heavy metals" as any relatively dense metal or metalloid, or any compound thereof, that is noted for its potential toxicity by the World Assembly Scientific Programme;
2. Requires member states to research alternatives to reduce the use of, and where technologically and economically feasible, phase out the use of toxic heavy metals and their compounds;
3. Encourages member states to cooperate in such research where possible, to save time, costs, and prevent overlapping research;
4. Further requires member states to educate citizens about the dangers of toxic heavy metals, as well as make a reasonable effort to safely dispose of such chemicals;
5. Prohibits the intentional discharge of toxic heavy metals into the natural environment, including bodies of water;
6. Bans the disposal of toxic heavy metals where there is a high probability of environmental contamination;
7. Mandates that landfills used to hold toxic heavy metals be properly lined to prevent against leaching;
8. Further mandates that employees of workplaces in member states utilizing such toxic heavy metals follow extant World Assembly law on hazardous material safety, including but not limited to proper labelling and personal protective equipment;
9. Exempts the use of toxic heavy metals in military applications, so long as due care is taken to ensure safe disposal of said toxic heavy metals and/or their compounds, as covered by existing international law.

Co-authored by Wrapper.

Citizens may vote For, Against, or Abstain. A vote of Abstain is a vote for the Pharaoh to abstain from voting.

[Treize Dreizehn]

There are several bits of terminology that sum to make this proposal particularly troubling.

Even if this is supposed to be a humanocentric resolution, "potential toxicity" would apply to all the species that make up the World Assembly. Given the multitudes, this would class all "relatively dense metal or metalloid" as toxic. Beyond that there's no allowances made for heavy metals that may not in lower levels present a toxicity problem. A good example here, for us humans, is Iron (which at certain levels is not only non-toxic but indeed necessary to life).

Alone this would not to me be a serious issue. However, the language bars the "intentional discharge of toxic heavy metals into the natural environment". Discharge as a term means "to allow to flow out from where a thing has been contained". However, "natural environment" includes everything. All things, everywhere. The air, the sea, the earth, space... all of it. You're saying we can't allow iron to flow into the environment at any levels or in any form?

I believe this is an issue which is certainly best left up to individual nations. Each nation can (based on their population, economic needs, technological capabilities, species makeup, and even the parts per million level that a particular heavy metal becomes significantly toxic to its population) make these decisions far better than the World Assembly as a whole. As such, I strongly oppose this resolution and it is the recommendation of the Vizier of World Assembly Affairs that the region oppose it as well.

[Cormac]

Lodged an initial vote against. After about a day if there's not more voting here, I'll be voting with the in-game WA population though.