Home > Press releases > 2003: Toxic Ships May Be Given Temporary Harbour
Nov 6 2003
Friends of the Earth is calling for a full assessment of how best to deal with the first two of four former US naval ships (the "ghost fleet") to the US, following a Government announcement that they are considering "how best to store the ships temporarily". Friends of the Earth would prefer the ships to be returned at once but only if this can be done in an environmentally safe manner.
In a statement, Margaret Beckett, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said that the proposed shipment to Hartlepool for dismantling could not be completed under international and European Community law.
Mrs Beckett also said she recognised it was impractical to return the first two ships but she was working with US authorities to examine safety and liability concerns over the possibility of returning the second two ships to the United States.
Friends of the Earth said the four Ghost Ships on their way to the UK should never have set sail, given that it was clear that all permissions were not in place. Although the Environment Agency raised some concerns with the US authorities, it did not, at that stage, declare the trans-frontier shipment licence it had granted to be invalid. Had the Environment Agency taken such action, the ships would not have left [1].
Given the current positions of the four ships, Friends of the Earth believes the Maritime and Coastguard Agency must make an independent assessment of the environmental risks of returning or storing the first two ships. The third and fourth ships should be immediately returned to the United States as stated by the Environment Agency.
[1] The Environment Agency issued a statement saying the licences were "invalid" on 31/10, but this statement was based on information the Environment Agency was aware of before the licences were issued and should have therefore declared the licences invalid much earlier.
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