A local authority in the U.K. is in trouble with green activists after its computers were found dumped in a toxic rubbish dump in Ghana.

Kent County Council computers were found in a dump, in the nation’s capital city of Accra. KCC Deputy leader Alex King had no idea how the council’s unwanted gear had ended up about 3,000 miles away. It gets rid of its computers through specialist third-party companies, and the council places emphasis on its contracts for the standards to be followed throughout the disposals process. It is hunting out which of its contractors dumped the PCs in Ghana and why.

There are international laws banning the export of computer waste, but people are getting around this by labelling the shipments as ‘usable second-hand goods.’ Kent Green Party spokesman, Steve Dawe, said it was no excuse for KCC to say it did not know its equipment was being dumped in Ghana.

He said it was good enough for KCC to pass the responsibility onto other people.

More here.