2009 CPEO Military List Archive

From: Lenny Siegel <lennysiegel@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 20:14:04 -0700 (PDT)
Reply: cpeo-military
Subject: [CPEO-MEF] Navy ships to be dumped in Bangladesh
 
OBAMA's EPA ALLOWS TOXIC NAVY SHIPS TO BE DUMPED IN BANGLADESH
Ships Likely to be Scrapped on Beach by Unprotected Workers in Violation of Law

Basel Action Network Media Release
August 27, 2009	

27 August 2009 (Norfolk, Virginia.) - Last night, the ship ANDERS (former M/V PVT. JAMES ANDERSON, JR), sailed out of Norfolk, Virginia with the likely destination being the infamous shipbreaking beaches of Bangladesh. According to the Environmental watchdog group Basel Action Network (BAN), the export marks the first time the U.S. government has allowed a U.S. flagged ship in the service of the government to be sent to South Asian beaches since the Clinton Administration called for a moratorium on such exports in 1998. The moratorium followed a Pulitzer Prize winning expose published by the Baltimore Sun highlighting the inhumane and environmentally devastating conditions in the South Asian shipbreaking yards.

The ANDERS and her sister ship BONNY (M/V 1ST LT. ALEX BONNYMAN) which is expected to likewise sail later today, were allowed to be sold, re-flagged and exported by the U.S. Maritime Administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) despite the fact that these transactions were likely in violation of the Jones Act, regarding U.S. flagged ships, and because the ships are of the vintage that contain high concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in their construction, were likely in violation of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). TSCA forbids the export or the "distribution in commerce" of PCBs. The Basel Action Network (BAN) had previously sent a series of letters to the EPA and MARAD warning them of the imminent and likely violations of U.S. laws and called specifically upon the EPA to at least require the ships to be tested for PCBs prior to export. But to the great surprise of the environmental watchdog organization, that had worked with the EPA in numerous instances in the past, the Obama administration refused to act.

...

For the entire release, see
http://www.ban.org/ban_news/2009/090827_toxic_navy_ships_to_be_dumped.html

--


Lenny Siegel
Executive Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
a project of the Pacific Studies Center
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



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