GREENPEACE FINDS SHIPOWNERS RESPONSIBLE FOR TOXIC POLLUTION AT CHINESE SHIPBREAKING YARDS

25 June 2001

Beijing, China: The refusal of shipowners to decontaminate ships before they are exported for scrapping has resulted in serious pollution around shipbreaking yards in China, according to a new Greenpeace report 'Ships for scrap IV, Steel and toxic wastes for Asia', released today.

Greenpeace investigations at four Chinese shipbreaking yards, two located on the Yangtze River and two on the Pearl River delta, found that river sediments near the yards are severely contaminated with toxic PCBs, TBTs [1] and heavy metals released from ships sent to the Chinese shipbreaking yards. The yards investigated by Greenpeace are used to break ships owned by European companies such as Anglodutch shipping company 'P&O Nedlloyd' and Germany-based 'Hamburg Sud'. The levels of many of the pollutants were so high they would require clean-up action according to standards in industrialised countries. (2)

"Western shipping companies are using China as a dumping ground for their toxic waste. It's scandalous that they continue to send ships contaminated with hazardous substances to China. Their irresponsible actions are poisoning the Chinese environment and is threatening the health of the Chinese public,'' said Greenpeace China's Campaign Director, Howard Liu.

Previous Greenpeace investigations found that western shipping companies are also exporting toxic ships-for-scrap to shipbreaking yards in India and Bangladesh. Greenpeace holds shipowners and ship operators responsible for the pollution because they continue to refuse to decontaminate their ships of hazardous substances during their years of operation and prior to their export to Asian shipbreaking yards.

Speaking from the second summit on ship scrapping, taking place in Rotterdam, the Netherlands today, Greenpeace International Executive Director, Gerd Leipold, said: "This pattern of exploitation is not confined to China alone. Our investigations have found that western shipping companies are exploiting lax environmental standards in a number of Asian countries. It's high time shipping companies and operators are held responsible for cleaning old vessels of toxic substances before sending them to be scrapped in Asia."

Last week, the international community agreed to guidelines on how ships should be dismantled in an environmentally safe manner (3) and has recommended that the International Maritime Organisation takes the lead in moving towards the building of clean ships and preparation of ships before they are scrapped.

"It's encouraging that governments have recognised that the current way in which ships are dismantled is unacceptable. However, the pressing need is not guidelines but legally enforceable instruments that mandate the cleaning of ships prior to export for scrapping," said Leipold.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Matilda Bradshaw, Greenpeace International press desk on + 31 20 524 9545 or
+ 31 6 535 04701 (m)
Marietta Harjono, Greenpeace toxics campaigner on +31 20 524 9562 or
+31 6 15007411 (m)

(1) Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) is a known class of cancer-causing chemicals commonly found in old ships. Tributyl Tin (TBT) is a toxic biocide used in ships paints to retard the growth of marine organisms on the ship's hull. TBT is particularly toxic to marine organisms and also to human beings.

(2) At all four of the yards, increased concentrations of oil and PAHs were found. At two of the yards, clean-up of the sediment would be required under the Dutch standards for quality of sediment. Highly toxic tributyltin (TBT), used in anti-fouling paint, was found in increased concentrations at three yards. In one case, (at the Gujing Shipbreaking Comopany yard, Xinhui City in Guandong Province) the TBT concentration was between 170,000 and 1.7 million times higher than provisional ecotoxicological assessment criteria for TBT in marine sediment agreed by OSPAR, which regulates marine pollution in Europe.

(3) This agreement was reached at a meeting of the 'Basel Convention on the Transboundary Movement of Hazardous wastes and their Disposal' in Geneva, 18-20 June 2001.