Van Oord Wins Coastal Protection Work in the UK
Dutch-based dredging contractor Van Oord said it has signed a contract with the U.K.'s Environment Agency to continue to protect the Lincolnshire coast for the next four years.The deal, which continues on the work Van Oord has been undertaking there since 2015, encompasses beach nourishment over the length of 20 kilometers and requires around 400,000 cubic meters of sand each year.Van Oord said it will also be providing technical advice to the Environment Agency in relation to the implementation of their flood risk management strategy.
Rock On: UK's Kent Beach Flood Defence Starts
Rocks are being delivered as work by Van Oord starts on the £30m scheme to protect 1,400 properties at Broomhill Sands Coastal Defence Scheme in Kent, informs UK's Environment Agency. The rock for the new defence will be imported from Norway and will be delivered by barge. The works are scheduled for completion in December 2015 and will improve the flood protection to more than 1,300 homes and 100 businesses by increasing the standard of protection to the area from 1 in 20 years to 1 in 200 years. The scheme will also protect vital infrastructure in the area including the main coastal road and sewage treatment works. The scheme is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
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.
U.K. Reverses Position on MarAd Ship Break
The controversy surrounding the transport and break up of U.S. ships in the U.K. has taken another turn, as the U.K. Environment Agency (EA)said that, on re-examination, it has determined that the license modification that it previously issued to Able UK allowing it to dismantle ships owned by the U.S. Maritime Administration (MarAd) was incorrect. Able UK will have to apply for a new license and processing of such an application is lengthy. The MarAd ships may have to be returned to the United States until this matter is resolved, though MarAd issued a release saying that the transit would continue while a solution was sought. (Source: HK Law, Staff Reports)
Dismantling Ban Applies to Second Two MARAD Vessels
The U.K. Environment Agency has reiterated the conditions imposed last week on the storage of U.S. naval vessels by Able UK at Hartlepool on Teesside. Modifications made by the Agency to the conditions of the waste management licence held by Able UK apply to all waste ships, from whatever source. The conditions cover the US vessels Canopus and Compass Island, which it has now been decided will also be stored on Teesside alongside the vessels Caloosahatchee and Canisteo which docked earlier in the week.
Supplementary Evidence on Recycling of Obsolete MARAD Ships
The UK Environment Agency (EA) posted on its Internet site Supplementary Evidence that it provided to the Parliamentary Committee on Environment, Food and Rural Affairs following a hearing on 19 November 2003. The document provides a chronological history of events relating to the proposed recycling of obsolete ships owned by the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) Source: HK Law
Column: Recycling of Ships
As of July 1, 2003, there were approximately 29,000 commercial self-propelled ocean-going ships worldwide in excess of 1,000 gross tons each. Of these, just over 400 are U.S. flag. In addition, there are approximately 3,000 U.S. barges of over 1,000 gross tons each. Approximately 25% of these ships and barges are more than 20 years old and will be taken out of service in the near future. The vast majority of the ships and barges taken out of service will be recycled (scrapped). Exactly when a ship is taken out of service is dependent upon a variety of factors, the most important being its maintenance costs and its current charter rate. Thus, the number of ships being offered for recycling can and does gyrate widely over time.
