Liberalized international trade rules could make it harder for the U.S. to bar shipments of toxic waste from other countries, according to new reports released by the Asia Pacific Environmental Exchange and the Earth Justice Legal Defense Fund. Under World Trade Organization agreements that provide for the free movement of goods, toxic waste could be considered a good and imported into the U.S. by waste disposal companies, the enviros say. Meanwhile, enviros, unions, and numerous others concerned about the adverse impacts of globalization are continuing with their plans to raise a ruckus at the next WTO meeting, which begins later this month in Seattle. In a recent survey by the Pew Research Center, 52 percent of Americans polled — and 63 percent of those polled from low-income families — said they believe globalization of the economy will hurt America.
