PCBs are known to be dangerous and have been outlawed in the European Union since 1987. So why are many orcas, off the coast of Europe, dying of PCB poisoning? Turns out, improperly disposed PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyl) are leaking into waterways and killing killer whales, also known as orcas. Unsealed landfills allow the chemicals to find their way into estuaries and finally into the oceanic food chain. One study predicts mass extinctions among several orca communities. Please join me in asking the European Parliament to enact laws that require proper disposal of PCBs in contained repositories that don't bleed into estuaries.
To the European Parliament:
We the undersigned deplore the possible extinction of orcas off Europe's coast. Though PCBs have been illegal in Europe since 1987, it seems this dangerous chemical has not been carefully enough disposed of. Via unsealed landfills, the chemical is finding its way into small waterways that lead inexorably to the ocean. There, PCBs become part of the food chain. Many of your orcas are dying of PCB poisoning. The European population of orcas is in serious danger of extinction. Please enact laws requiring proper and secure disposal of PCBs and remediation of landfills where the chemicals are known to exist.
