The Margaret Hill, a 50,700 tonne liquid natural gas tanker, was stopped from leaving the UK’s Southampton docks in August this year. The Environment Agency took swift action after it received intelligence that the ship was bound for dismantling on the Indian subcontinent, where ships are routinely broken up on beaches in conditions which put workers and the environment at risk. Due to its age, the Margaret Hill is likely to contain hazardous materials such as asbestos. Waste ships containing hazardous materials can only be dismantled at properly authorised dismantling facilities in either the EU or an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) country.
