[CPEO-MEF] Ships to be exported for scrapping?

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

In late 1997, the Baltimore Sun published an investigative series on the
environmental and worker safety consequences of the export of U.S.
civilian and military ships for shipbreaking. Shortly thereafter, the
U.S. government ceased the practice.

Now it appears that the Bush Administration is seeking ways to re-start
the practice. On March 14, 2002, the House Armed Services Committee
Special Oversight Panel on the Merchant Marine heard testimony from
Capt. William G. Schubert, Maritime Administrator, U.S. Maritime
Administration, Department of Transportation. 

Schubert told the Panel that his agency's planned initiatives include
"the export of ships for recycling (through sales and government
purchase of services) through a joint teaming effort with the EPA and
the State Department, which considers environmental and worker
health/safety issues."

Schubert's entire testimony may be found at
http://www.house.gov/hasc/schedules/2002.html. Just scroll down to March
14 and click.

-- 


Lenny Siegel
Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
c/o PSC, 278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
<lsiegel@cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org