Greenpeace announced this morning that its efforts to contain a stockpile of highly toxic obsolete pesticides in Nepal have been successful and are nearing completion. The environmental organisation called on the pesticide manufacturers to remove the toxic waste from Nepal and to ensure it is disposed of safely. The pesticides were exported to the country by multinationals such as Bayer, Sumitomo, Sandoz, Shell, Rhone Poulenc, Du Pont, Union Carbide (Dow) and Monsanto and abandoned there after they reached their expiry date or were banned. The most dangerous substances found at the Nepalese site, located on the outskirts of Kathmandu, originate from the German chemical company Bayer. These include highly toxic chlorinated organomercury compounds, banned for use in the European Union since 1988. Despite requests to Bayer for help from the Royal Nepalese Government, the company has refused any support.