DOWN TO ZERO BOAT TOUR
Regular Updates from the Crew aboard the Ship, MV Greenpeace.

OCTOBER 7 - ZEEBRUGGE

To maintain pressure for a TBT ban in Belgium, today at 09:45 the dumpship the "Gallilei 2000'' approx. 1 mile off the coast of Zeebrugge was boarded by four Greenpeace inflatables and eight activists were placed onboard.

Three were in protective clothing and breathing apparatus to go in the harbour dredgings (sludge) from Zeebrugge. The action stopped the "Gallilei" from dumping the sludge at sea.

The levels of TBT in the sludge are well above the legal level of 7ppb (parts per billion). Over two years the Federal Minister of the Environment measurements show levels ranging from 10 to 199 ppb - in every case too high. Greenpeace asked the minister to cancel permits for dumping at sea and to clean up the harbour.

The Flemish (regional) government has put this issue on the agenda of next week's government meeting to clean up this historic black spot (area of highest contamination levels) that causes permanent pollution of the whole port. The next step to be taken will be to ban TBT paint from the ships themselves.

On request of Greenpeace the minister has now arrested and impounded the sludge barge awaiting the result of sludge TBT sampling results.

Update from Antwerp- The meeting yesterday with the Antwerp Port Authority, the Antwerp Shiprepair wharf, MSC and the paint company Sigma did not result in any commitment to stop the use of TBT or agreement to end the action. It was agreed to have follow up meetings to further discuss the issue today.

Last night at 19:00 Greenpeace received an injunction from the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) against our action at the Antwerp Shipping Yard against their vessel the 'MSC Carmen'. The action was stopped once the injunction was received.

However, this morning Greenpeace went to court in Antwerp to present the case that the ship should not be allowed to leave before the paint is taken off as it is an illegal substance according to Belgium law. The judge will take the final decision tomorrow after having heard Greenpeace and MSC's. Untill then, the ship is not allowed to leave the dock. An official of the Inspectorate for the Environment today took samples of the paint from the "Carmen".