17 November 2003 – The first two US 'ghost ships' arrived in Hartlepool last week despite protests over the environmental consequences of letting them dock

What is the story of the ships?

Dubbed the "ghost fleet" and containing tons of hazardous waste, they were rusting away in James river, Virginia, until Able UK, which owns a breakers' yard in Hartlepool, won a £10.6m contract to dispose of the pollutants and recycle the steel, creating 200 jobs. The first two vessels set sail across the Atlantic on October 6, with two more leaving eight days later... The first two ships, both oil tankers built in 1945, were towed across the Atlantic by ITC, a Dutch towage company... Able UK intends to remove the waste in an air-tight environment, with workers in protective suits double-bagging the asbestos and dumping it, with the carcinogenic PCBs, in a nearby landfill site.

· Graham Tibbets in the Daily Telegraph, November 13

Did all the ships leave Virginia?

The departure of a further nine "ghost ships" from the US to England [was] delayed pending the outcome of a court case filed by American environmentalists. British politicians, residents and environmentalists have vociferously opposed the arrival of the ships, fearing an environmental crisis. Friends of the Earth and a group of residents [launched] legal proceedings in the High Court... in an attempt to prevent them from docking in Hartlepool. [On November 4] councillors in Hartlepool held an emergency meeting, during which a unanimous resolution was passed urging the government to intervene to re-route the ships... Concerns focused on the effect on the environment in the Wetlands area - a site of special scientific interest - near the Able UK yard, where the vessels are to be scrapped.

· Danielle Demetriou in the Independent, November 5

What dangers do the ships pose?

The vessels are deteriorating, contain hazardous substances and pose an immediate environmental threat... Environmental dangers associated with [these] old, deteriorating ships are increasing daily. These vessels are literally rotting and disintegrating as they await disposal. Some vessels have deteriorated to a point where a hammer can penetrate their hulls. They contain hazardous substances such as asbestos and solid and liquid polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).

· Statement from the office of the inspector general of the US Department of Transport, cited on the Friends of the Earth website, foe.co.uk

Why did anyone let them sail, then?

The 13 ships were allowed to go to Britain because America is the only developed country that has not ratified the 1989 Basel Convention, an international agreement aimed at stemming the shipment of hazardous waste. In 1998, President Bill Clinton banned shipments of waste from leaving the US but the Bush administration lifted the ban.

· Charlie Bain in the Daily Mail, November 6

Are the ships really dangerous?

The government [on Saturday] hit back at environmental pressure groups for grossly exaggerating the dangers... as it changed its policy to allow two more of the "ghost ships", at present still at sea, to overwinter in Hartlepool. Peter Mandelson, the local MP, accused [environmental] groups of "colossal misinformation" after personally inspecting the two ships that docked in the north-eastern port last week. And senior government sources pointed out that the ships - continually described as "toxic timebombs" by environmentalists - are in fact "no more toxic than the average car ferry... The only pollutant on board that could leak and cause trouble is oil.

· From the Independent, November 16

Why not just send the ships back to America and let them dispose of them?

The Department for the Environment said in a statement it would be too dangerous for the ships to attempt a return crossing of the Atlantic at this time of year. On Wednesday, the Environment Agency approved a modification of a waste management licence to allow the ships to dock in Hartlepool. Conditions will be imposed that will prevent any breaking up of the US vessels in the UK. Able UK says that if the work is not allowed to go ahead it will cost the firm a bond of more than £3m as well as millions of pounds worth of future business.

· From BBC news online, November 16

Article Link: Are the ghost ships such a grave matter?