Ghostships given short stop
The two “ghostships” contaminated with toxic chemicals will briefly dock in Hartlepool but will be forced to return to the US “at the earliest opportunity,” Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett has confirmed.
Following discussions with US Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta, Mrs Beckett said the ships would be temporarily stored at the port because it was the safest option.
Mrs Beckett said the dismantling of the ships could not be carried out due to “international rules and community law.”
She said: “The immediate return to the United States of the first two ships, which are now approaching the Channel, would be impracticable, not least because of concerns about the weather.
“We have spent the last few days urgently exploring with the appropriate agencies, colleagues in Government and the United States, how best to store the ships temporarily.”
Baroness Young, chief executive of the Environment Agency, said: “When the two ships arrive in Hartlepool, the Environment Agency will impose conditions on them to ensure that no dismantling can take place, that the environment is fully protected and that the ships remain ready for return to the USA.”
Environmental group Friends of the Earth slammed the decision as a “stitch-up.”
