Two Groups Sue to Halt Shipment of Ghost Fleet
by Recycling Today
29 September 2003 – The Basel Action Network and Sierra Club filed suit Sept. 26 in DC Federal District Court to stop the US Maritime Administration from allowing the towing of the first 2 of 13 "Ghost Fleet" naval vessels across the Atlantic Ocean from the James River in Virginia to the Able UK company in Teesside, England, for scrapping.
The groups are also seeking an emergency restraining order to halt the first shipment, which they believe MARAD's contractor is planning to accomplish within the next several weeks. Already, the Coast Guard has indicated that the contractor has asked for a final inspection on Sept. 29 to allow for the towing permit -- the last hurdle before departing.
The two groups claim that the 13 ships are in serious states of deterioration with several of them already having leaked oil into the James River.
"We have the technology to safely recycle the 'ghost fleet' and provide much needed jobs right here in Virginia," said Michael Town, director of the Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club. "So why does the Bush Administration want to haul it across the Atlantic and chance an ecological disaster during hurricane season? This is just another example of the Bush Administration making an end run around the public."
Under the Toxics Substances Control Act (TSCA), it is illegal to export PCBs, which are highly toxic chemicals known to cause liver and nervous system damage to humans and wildlife even in microscopic amounts. The suit contends that the Bush Administration has basically ignored the TSCA, which prohibits EPA from lifting the ban without an open public process to determine that the export and handling of the PCBs will not threaten human health or the environment.
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