Every year, hundreds of sea vessels retire to the once clean beaches of Asia. In addition to their valuable steel, these old ships often contain hazardous substances that place their workers and the environment in danger. Despite agreement under the Basel Convention requiring every country to take responsibility for its own waste, the French toxic ship "Sea Beirut" attempted to enter Turkey illegally. A new court decision now forces the French government to take back the ship and clean it up before re-exporting it for scrap.
