Federal Judge Orders Toxic Ships to Stay Put
The National Defense Reserve Fleet will remain in the James River in southeastern Virginia, after a federal judge blocked the ships from being towed to the U.K. where they are slated to be dismantled. The 1940s-built Canisteo and Caloosahatchoo, were the first of the 13 ships scheduled to leave today for their scrapping destination at Teesside, England where AbleUK would dismantle the ships and dispose of the hazardous materials. The ships, dubbed the Ghost Fleet, contain up to 100 tons of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) as well as significant quantities of asbestos and fuel oil. Environmental groups urged Judge Rosemary M. Collyer to block the scheduled towing of the vessels, stating that the agency responsible for the ships failed to follow environmental regulations.
U.K. EA Authorizes Dismantling of U.S. Ships
The UK Environment Agency (EA) has issued a modification to the waste management license of Able UK such that the company may engage in the dismantling of U.S. ships at its Teesside Reclamation and Recycling Centre. Able UK submitted an application to the Agency on July 31, 2003 to modify the existing licence for its Teesside Reclamation and Recycling Centre (TERRC) site, to permit an increase in its handling capacity from 24,500 to more than 75,000 tonnes per year. In issuing the licence the Agency has restricted the annual amount handled to 200,000 tonnes. The Agency granted the modification after it had undertaken a thorough assessment reviewing all the potential environmental risks to the Tees Estuary and the surrounding sensitive habitat sites.
