Council buries the ghost?13 October 2006
Councillors have thrown out plans to turn a Teeside yard into a toxic scrapping ground for US naval ships.
The decision is a welcome result for both Friends of the Earth and local people who recently won a high court battle over the environmental concerns of the project.
13 so-called 'ghost ships' entered the UK to be dismantled in 2003 creating a wave of public opposition. The fleet, which contains a cocktail of deadly chemicals , poses a serious threat to protected habitats and the surrounding area.
Able UK, who had won the disposal contract, are set to appeal. But Hartlepool council made it clear that the promise of more jobs was scant reward for becoming the toxic toilet of Britain.
