Greenpeace hails the Ministry of Environment and Forest's
directive to Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) to inspect
Genova Bridge for toxic substances following Greenpeace alert and
expects them to ensure that V Ships Commercial will take on the
liability for all toxic substances on board their ship as required
by the Supreme Court of India and the Basel Convention.
Greenpeace also denies reports in newspapers about Rainbow
Warrior's alleged "cat and mouse games with Gujarat authorities".
At no point, was the sailing vessel chased by Police and Maritime
authorities. "We have cooperated with Gujarat Maritime Board,
Indian Customs and Coast Guards through out our presence in Alang.
Rainbow Warrior continues to conduct 'toxics patrols' in
International waters for ships that are headed for Alang and is
committed to reporting ships-for-scrap violating the Supreme Court
directives to the authorities while we are here." said Cosmo
Wassenaar, Captain of the Rainbow Warrior.
Mr. Jan Verhoef, an independent marine engineer and specialist
in hazardous substances, said "It is impossible that ships like
Genova bridge built more than 30 years ago will be free of toxics.
It is bound to have huge quantities of toxic chemicals and I urge
the Indian authorities to look closely for PCBs, TBT, Heavy Metals,
Asbestos and sludge in the structure of the ship. " (See notes
).
He additionally recommends that the GPCB team use the toxic
inventory form that is in the Industry Code of Practice on Ship
recycling, issued by the Industry Working Party on Ship Recycling
(www.marisec.org/recycling) to conduct their
inspection.
"V Ships Commercial and the United Kingdom government should
adhere to the Basel Convention, the IMO guidelines and Indian
Supreme Court directives. They have very little choice but to bear
the cost of safe removal and re-import to UK of the toxic waste and
not dump these liabilities on Indian ship-breaker or Indian
government."said Ramapati Kumar, Shipbreaking campaigner.
Notes:
1. Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) are used in solid form in
gaskets, insulation materials and electrical components. They are
used in liquid form in transformers, capacitors and in oil in
electric motors and hydraulic systems. Exposure to PCBs is through
inhalation, ingestion or absorption through skin. They cause
several adverse health effects, including cancer. PCBs are
persistent chemicals and they bio-accumulate.
2. A Try-butyl tin (TBT) is an organ-metallic substance used to
anti foul the hulls of ships. It is one of the most toxic compounds
when introduced to the aquatic environment. When a ship is beached,
it is run onto the sand at full speed and TBT is ground off and
released into the environment.
3. Heavy Metals of particular concern that are associated with
the ship breaking industry are toxic heavy metals such as lead
(pb), mercury (hg) and cadmium (cd). These are biologically non-
essential metals that can cause harm to human
health and/or the ecological system as they are persistent and
bio-accumulative pollutants that affect the human body.
4. Asbestos is used, particularly in engine rooms, for its
thermal insulation and fire-resistant properties. It is sandwiched
between steel plates in the walls or in the doors. It is a major
threat to health because when distributed, it breaks into fine
fibers, which can be suspended, in the air for long periods. If
inhaled, the fibers can lead to fatal diseases such as lung cancer,
mesotheelioma and asbestosis.
5.A vessel's pipe and tanks contain oil and sludge from the fuel
and lubricating oils. Oils and fuels poison marine organisms and
soil the environment, threatening natural resources. Oils and fuels
are toxic to humans and can be inhaled or consumed in contaminated
fish or water. They also represent a danger due to fire and
explosion.
6. Ballast water is water that has been intentionally brought on
board to adjust the trim and stability of the ship. This
waste-water often contains pollutants. Sometime oil cargo tanks are
used for ballast, making the ballast water particularly oily.
Ballast water may also contain aquatic organisms brought from
another part of the world, which threaten the ecological balance in
the seas where they are released; and viruses and bacteria, which
can transfer to humans.
For more details contact : Namrata Chowdhary, Media Officer,
Greenpeace India
- Tel - 022 31520697/ (0)9810850092
- email- 