Feature story - 27 September, 2006
After three days of blockading the toxic tanker Probo Koala, we were pleased to hear that the Government of Estonia is investigating the ship, which is responsible for the deaths of at least 8 people in the Ivory Coast -- and the illnesses of thousands more, due to irresponsible dumping of toxic waste.
The "toxic tanker" Probo Koala, blockaded for three days by the Arctic Sunrise.
Our Toxics Campaigner Helen Perivier explains, "The Probo Koala
is aninternational toxic crime scene and needs to be fully
investigated toestablish the full chain of culpability which led to
the tragic deadlyevents in the Ivory Coast," she said. "Only
through such aninvestigation can the guilty be brought to justice
and the lessonslearned in order to prevent this from happening
again." We weredelighted to hear that the Estonian Authorities are
now taking suchaction.
UPDATE 15 Feb 2007: Trafigura-Cote d’Ivoire compensation deal is travesty of justice.
Dumping the West's waste ... in Africa
Thescandal of the toxic waste dumped in the Ivory Coast first
came tolight on September 6 when the first casualties were reported
andprotests broke out on the streets of Abidjan against the
government,which was blamed for allowing the dumping. Despite
this, theKorean-built, Greek-managed, Panamanian-flagged and
Dutch-charteredtanker was allowed to sail freely …until we blocked
it from leavingEstonia.
Ship's blog: Toxic Death ShipAction
Onthe basis of preliminary results it would appear that
contaminationfound on the Probo Koala by the Estonian Environment
Ministry issimilar to that which poisoned the Ivory Coast.
Hopefully, Estonia willagree with the request of the Ivory Coast to
continue to detain theProbo Koala as part of the ongoing Ivorian
criminal investigation.
From one crime scene to another
TheArctic Sunrise, which took up position in Paldiski on Monday
to preventthe imminent departure of the Probo Koala and branded it
an "EU TOXICCRIME SCENE" will now return to the Baltic to continue
its work againstpirate fishing, overfishing and for the
establishment of marinereserves.
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