[CPEO-MEF] 4 reserve ships can be towed to Britain; order bars 9 others

[CPEO Moderator <cpeo@cpeo.org>]

Virginia
THE DAILY PRESS
4 reserve ships can be towed to Britain; order bars 9 others
By David Lerman
October 3, 2003

WASHINGTON -- A federal judge Thursday cleared the way for four ships in
the James River "ghost fleet" to be towed to England for scrapping,
including two ships that were scheduled to leave Hampton Roads as early
as today.

But U.S. District Judge Rosemary M. Collyer issued a temporary
restraining order barring the export of any additional ships overseas
until the government can show it has complied with all environmental
regulations.

The ruling comes as a partial setback to the U.S. Maritime
Administration, which signed a contract to send 13 of the
environmentally hazardous reserve ships to a British scrapper.
Environmental groups had filed suit to block the ships, citing safety
concerns in towing decrepit vessels laden with toxic PCBs across the
Atlantic Ocean.

In a 10-page order, Collyer raised concerns that the Maritime
Administration may have failed to abide by regulations governing the
export of hazardous material.

In particular, she said the Toxic Substances Control Act "appears to
require" the government to obtain an exemption from a regulation banning
the export of PCBs. The Maritime Administration received only a letter
from the Environmental Protection Agency saying it would not enforce the
law. The letter stopped short of granting a formal exemption.

Collyer also said the National Environmental Policy Act requires the
Maritime Administration, known as MARAD, to conduct an environmental
assessment of the risk posed in towing the ships overseas.

"This has not been done," the judge wrote.

This article can be viewed at:
http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-87042sy0oct03,0,5579271.story?coll=dp-headlines-topnews

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