LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION urging the New York State Congressional deleg-
ation to address the problem of shipping electronic waste to developing
countries including consideration of legislation similar to H.R. 2595

WHEREAS, According to a recent report from the United Nations Environ-
ment Program (UNEP), the majority of the 40 million tons of electronic
waste that is being produced globally, is being exported to developing
nations that do not have the infrastructure to process and recycle the
waste properly; and
WHEREAS, By the year 2020, it is predicted that electronic waste
levels in South Africa and China will increase by two hundred percent,
and in India by five hundred percent; and
WHEREAS, The impoverished population of these developing countries is
exposed to the hazardous toxins that are inhaled and which seep into the
groundwater at dump sites; and
WHEREAS, The United States is currently one of the leading producer of
electronic waste in the world at three million tons; and
WHEREAS, The United States Congress should work at home and abroad on
solutions to address the exponential growth of electronic waste and
incorporate sustainable practices that will have a broad effect on the
use of metallic resources to produce electronics, as well as cut the
pollution which results from the mining of these precious metals; and
WHEREAS, The United States, in concert with the global community,
should set goals to recycle unwanted electronic devices in order to
alleviate the overwhelming burden of electronic waste on poorer and
developing nations; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the New York State Congressional delegation be and
hereby is respectfully memorialized by this Legislative Body to address
the problem of shipping electronic waste to developing countries includ-
ing consideration of legislation similar to H.R. 2595; and be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to each member of the Congressional delegation from the State of
New York.