Old photo of the SS Independence in the 1950s.

In February of last year, BAN and the Save the Classic Liners Campaign tipped-off the United States Environmental Protection Agency when they discovered that Global Marketing Systems, Inc. (GMS), headed up by a world famous cash-buyer of obsolete ships, Mr. Anil Sharma, had taken ownership of the SS Oceanic (former SS Independence) and had the old passenger liner towed out of San Francisco Bay with the intent of scrapping the vessel on the beaches of South Asia. BAN demanded that the U.S. government take action to have the ship returned to a U.S. port, but the EPA claimed they lacked the authority to have the ship recalled. Nevertheless, the EPA took legal action against GMS for violations of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the law which prohibits the exportation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a persistent toxic pollutant used in the paints, insulation and gasketry in older ships.

“While the Oceanic wasn’t recalled to the U.S., we’re very happy that EPA took their job seriously and that one of the world’s leading exporters and exploiters of the infamous shipbreaking beaches of South Asia has finally been held to account,” said Jim Puckett, Executive Director of BAN. “While half a million dollars is not much of a financial deterrent for such actors when a single ship can be worth well over 5 million in scrap steel, they are now on notice -- another such export would be a “knowing and willful” criminal violation, and they could find themselves behind bars.”

BAN is concerned, however, over the likelihood that U.S. government agencies will continue to ignore each other’s rules and continue to facilitate ship dealers being able to circumvent toxics laws such as TSCA by their actions or inaction. For example, a ship broker can simply ask the seller of a ship to ask the Maritime Administration (MARAD) to change the flag of a ship from a U.S. flag to a “flag of convenience” and then make the transaction and export. Because today’s ruling only applies to U.S. registered vessels, this creates a major loophole if MARAD allows such re-flagging without notifying EPA. Likewise if the Coast Guard does not promulgate rules or adopt guidelines to refuse or delay “dead ship tow” permits until the necessary inquiries have been made with EPA, violations will continue.

“If MARAD and the Coast Guard were aware and trained about our toxic trade laws, illegal exports like this one could be prevented and we would not be in this unfortunate position of talking about ‘the ones that got away,’” said Puckett. “These old ships are often towed and have little value other than for scrap. There has got to be greater cooperation between MARAD, the Coast Guard and EPA to provide an early warning system to prevent these toxic ships from “slipping away.”

Soon after EPA initiated its enforcement action against Global and its sister organization Global Shipping LLC, GMS requested a new application to the Maritime Administration seeking approval to sell the vessel but changing the purpose of export from disposal to continued use of the vessel to accommodate labor workers in the Arabian Gulf area. Today, the whereabouts of the Oceanic remains uncertain at this time but so far it has not been seen in the breaking yards.

For more information contact:

Jim Puckett, Basel Action Network. (206) 652-5555. jpuckett@ban.org

For more information on the case of the SS Oceanic see homepage of www.ban.org.

Read the EPA Press Release and Settlement