A fragile peace is the only thing between the once prosperous country and civil war, and I have family and friends in Abidjan, the de facto capital. So I jumped when I read on October 2 that a miscreant European tanker had dumped hundreds of tons of toxic waste on the city.
Eight Ivorians were dead, dozens hospitalized and tens of thousands in need of treatment. But as I reached for the phone, concerned that the potentially fatal stench was wafting toward my loved ones, I paused and checked the story one more time. Breaking news? Not exactly. The dumping had taken place a month and half before it made the front page of the New York Times. If those I knew in Abidjan had been affected, I was overdue for a call. The Times story was the most in-depth and cogent piece of reporting to reach U.
But then, it was only the second American byline outside the Associated Press. When the bill for unloading and safely processing the waste grew, Trafigura balked and the Dutch authorities allowed the Probo Koala to cast off toward Estonia, still full.
According to Polgreen and Simons, some sludge that had already been pumped off, was pumped back on. A couple months later, the ship dumped its venomous cargo in the Ivory Coast. The first reports were local advisories on Ivorian television. The situation is serious, though. Actually, a foreign ship dumped its toxic waste in Ivorian waters.
The Environment Ministry is investigating into the issue. The story grew regional, and the wire services lit up like a fireworks show.
