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Lloyd's Register_Fairplay web links NETHERLANDS, 19 June 2002 -- DUTCH environment minister Jan Pronk has won his case against the 33,980_DWT tanker Sandrien, which he detained at Amsterdam in February 2001 because the vessel, sold for breaking up in Asia, was considered to be contaminated with asbestos. The Council of State has now ruled that the vessel can be considered as waste according to the Basle Convention. The minister’s victory may, however, become a costly affair for Dutch taxpayers because the owner is likely to abandon the vessel, built in 1974 and flying the Bolivian flag. The owner has been identified as Upperton Ltd of Mauritius, a brass_plate company without other assets, while the beneficial owner is not known. It is, therefore expected that the Dutch government will have to find a company to scrap the vessel in the Netherlands after the asbestos has been removed. The government may also have to pay for the repatriation of the 20_man crew, which has not been paid for months. FAIR USE NOTICE. This document contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. The Basel Action Network is making this article available in our efforts to advance understanding of ecological sustainability and environmental justice issues. We believe that this constitutes a `fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond `fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. More News |