Toxic Trash Fires Bloom In Baghdad Streets After Trash Service Collapses

[hatrack]

BAGHDAD, Iraq, June 24, 2005 (ENS) - "The collapse of Baghdad's garbage collection services has led to a dangerous increase in the amount of hazardous materials being burned on the capital’s streets. Baghdad health officials are now warning residents not to burn household rubbish as it is causing pollution and other health hazards.

Since the fall of the Saddam regime, municipal services, such as garbage collection, have struggled because of staffing and financial problems, prompting residents to dispose of waste themselves. And as evidence of the lawlessness that plagues Iraq, some residents who have tried to stop people from burning garbage have been shot or received death threats.

Suad Salman, who is in charge of Baghdad’s health education program, said his office had organized a campaign to educate people about the dangers of incinerating their rubbish.

“It’s a real problem especially when there are lots of plastic materials that create poisonous vapors,” said Salman. “We have asked the Baghdad municipality to put an end to this phenomenon.”

EDIT

http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jun2005/2005-06-24-05.asp

[oscar111]

1. if financial, not bullets, the problem, Bush could solve it in one hour

i read the other problems are not solved because rebels keep bombing things like sewer repair.

but if this is just a finance thing, bush has 18 billion left for rebuilding.. spent only one billion last i heard.

PS if you dont burn it, rats and disease and stench. Either option bad, IMHO.

"The cities are unlivable"

True also in the GOP utopia which we are in today.