In 1990, The Center for Investigative Reporting collaborated with FRONTLINE to produce and broadcast the award-winning documentary “Global Dumping Ground.” Credit: CIR/FRONTLINE

In 1990, The Center for Investigative Reporting collaborated with FRONTLINE to produce and broadcast the award-winning documentary “Global Dumping Ground.” It’s an hourlong look at a toxic trade that spans the globe – one that still exists today, as we learn in this week’s Reveal episode, “America’s digital dumping ground.”

The documentary focused on a dirty secret: the shipping of hazardous waste from the U.S. to Taiwan. Correspondents Lowell Bergman and Bill Moyers take us to Taiwan’s processing zone, where it’s cheaper to ship electronics for disposal. The catch is that this type of toxic work takes a toll on workers’ health and the surrounding environment.

Since the documentary’s release, the Taiwanese government has put a stop to the practice there – but the practice itself hasn’t stopped. It’s moved to countries such as China and Pakistan. Because while a United Nations treaty bans the export of hazardous waste across international borders, the U.S. doesn’t abide by that treaty.

So on this #ThrowbackThursday, watch this doc to see how a cheap and convenient solution for Americans has been dangerous business for some of the most desperate places on the planet for more than 25 years.

YouTube video

Creative Commons License

Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.

Julia B. Chan worked at The Center for Investigative Reporting until June, 2017. Julia B. Chan is a producer and the digital editor for Reveal's national public radio program. She’s the voice of Reveal online and manages the production and curation of digital story assets that are sent to more than 200 stations across the country. Previously, Chan helped The Center for Investigative Reporting launch YouTube’s first investigative news channel, The I Files, and led engagement strategies – online and off – for multimedia projects. She oversaw communications, worked to better connect CIR’s work with a bigger audience and developed creative content and collaborations to garner conversation and impact.

Before joining CIR, Chan worked as a Web editor and reporter at the San Francisco Examiner. She managed the newspaper’s digital strategy and orchestrated its first foray into social media and online engagement. A rare San Francisco native, she studied broadcasting at San Francisco State University, focusing on audio production and recording. Chan is based in Reveal's Emeryville, California, office.