Council call to halt fleet of ‘ghost ships’
Council chiefs in Hartlepool have called on the government to stop a fleet of toxic ships from docking.
The four former US Navy vessels are currently heading for the Able UK yard in Hartlepool to be scrapped.
However, local councillors have voted unanimously to call on the Transport Secretary, Alastair Darling, to have the ‘ghost ships’ re-routed.
Speaking after the meeting, council chairman Carl Richardson, said: “Clearly Hartlepool councillors are firmly of the view that the ships cannot be allowed to enter British waters given that there are a number of permissions not in place.
“This is a view shared by Environment Minister Elliot Morley, the Environment Agency and many other organisations and individuals.
“This is a very serious situation we are facing and the Secretary of State for Transport must use his powers now and order these ships to return to the USA.”
The council has already made it clear that the necessary planning permission was not in place to enable the ships to be dismantled in a dry dock facility.
The Department for Transport insisted today that decisions regarding the fleet remain the concern of the Environment Agency and the Department’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA).
The ships are contaminated with chemicals including asbestos and heavy diesel. They are being towed across the Atlantic, despite the Environment Agency refusing permission to import them on planning and environmental grounds.
However, the coastguard has ruled that the ships “pose no safety or pollution risk sufficient to justify intervention” and, as a result, nothing can be done about them until they arrive in Britain.
