GREENPEACE INTERCEPTS EUROPEAN SHIP ATTEMPTING TO ILLEGALLY DUMP TOXIC WASTE IN TURKEY

GREENPEACE INTERCEPTS EUROPEAN SHIP ATTEMPTING TO ILLEGALLY DUMP TOXIC WASTE IN TURKEY

4 May 2002

Istanbul/Paris, 4 May 2002: Greenpeace activists today intercepted a European cargo vessel as it illegally attempted to enter a Turkish shipbreaking yard with dangerous toxic waste on board.

The vessel "Sea Beirut" was towed from France to be scrapped at Aliaga, one of Turkey's notorious ship breaking yards (1), with asbestos still on board.

Six Greenpeace activists climbed onto the ship and demanded that it returns to France. The climbers hung a banner reading "Stop Toxic Ship Trade" on the vessel's side and displayed the toxic logo of a skull and cross bones to warn that the ship contains dangerous toxic waste.

The vessel was sold for scrap with asbestos on board by the French authorities in March 2002 to a German company MSK. In taking the decision to sell the ship for scrap, France is responsible for ensuring it is cleaned of hazardous materials before it is exported.

Despite the fact that France has strict laws governing the handling of asbestos, it failed to classify the vessel as hazardous waste. It also failed to request permission to export the vessel to Turkey and failed to notify the Turkish authorities of the asbestos (2). Under international and national regulations, Turkey has a right to refuse the toxic ship entry into the country and France is obliged to take it back.

"This toxic ship has been exported illegally and must be sent back to France. It is clearly unacceptable that France and other European countries are illegally dumping hazardous waste in Turkey, exposing its people and the environment to some of the most dangerous substances known to science," said Greenpeace campaigner Erdem Vardar. "This illegal trade will continue unless the EU ensures its shipping industries clean their vessels of hazardous materials before they're exported," he added.

After being contacted by Greenpeace during the action Turkish Ministry of Environment officials in Izmir and the local governor of Aliaga, are now heading to the Aliaga shipbreaking yard to take samples. The officials are claiming that they cannot take action unless they have proof that there is asbestos on board the ship. Greenpeace has already provided some evidence that the ship has asbestos on board by means of a written declaration of the Dutch asbestos cleaning company Van Der Linden & Veldhuis.

Up to 100 ships are scrapped in Turkey every year. At least 50 percent of them come from Western European shipping companies. The costs for dismantling toxic ships in Turkey are lower than in Europe because not even basic requirements for the protection of people and the environment are met at ship breaking yards such as Aliaga where ship breaking practices are comparable to those in China, India and Bangladesh.

Greenpeace is not against scrapping the vessels but wants to ensure that their export is not used as an excuse to dump toxic waste and demands that they are decontaminated before being exported.

"Until toxic ships-for-scrap are recognised as hazardous waste trade by all world governments and international regulations with a strong liability regime are enforced, people's lives and the environment will continue to be endangered as a matter of routine," said Greenpeace campaigner Marietta Harjono.

World governments are meeting on 21- 28 May 2002 in Geneva to discuss this issue. (3)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Erdem Vardar, Greenpeace Mediterranean Toxic Waste Trade Campaigner, Tel: +90 212 292 76 19/20 or Mob: +90 533 564 28 80; Tolga Temuge, Greenpeace Mediterranean Campaigns Director, Mob: +90 533 214 87 76 Marietta Harjono - Greenpeace Toxics campaigner Tel Mobile: + 31 615 007 411.
Photos available from Greenpeace International Picture Desk, John Novis, Tel: +31205249580 or Mob: +31653819121; Video, including aerial shots, is available from Greenpeace International Video Desk, Mim Lowe, Tel:+31205249509 or Mob: +31653504721.

(1) The Greenpeace Report on Environmental, Health and Safety Conditions in Aliaga Shipbreaking Yards, Izmir, Turkey and more information about shipbreaking can be found www.greenpeaceweb.org/shipbreak

(2) Asbestos was often used in ships because of the non-burning quality, insulation power and because it is chemically neutral. During the breaking of ships, asbestos is released. Even low concentrations of asbestos dust cause the formation of scar-like tissues resulting in permanent breathing difficulties (asbestosis). It is also carcinogenic.

(3) The Basel Convention on the Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes is an international convention under the auspices of the United Nations Environment Programme. Turkey has become a party to the Basel Convention on 20 December 1994. With the national Regulation to Control Hazardous Wastes (27.08.1995 no 22387), Turkey banned the importation of hazardous waste in 1995. Under this Regulation, the import of ships-for-scrap containing hazardous waste is also considered a hazardous waste.

The export of hazardous waste outside the EU should be notified based on the European Council Regulation (EEC) no 259/93 of 1 February 1993 on the supervision and control of shipments of waste within, into and out of the European Community. France is party to this regulation, which also demands that permission to send such a vessel to Turkey must be sought.