British balk at shipbreaking deal

Each year, as many as 600 ships, many decrepit and laced with toxic material, are dispatched thousands of miles around the globe to be disposed of, often in the third world.

But last week, two rusting US Navy vessels set out on a potentially risky journey across the Atlantic - to be dismantled in northern England.

A British shipyard is being paid $17 million to dispose of these two ships plus 11 other US vessels that have been rusting in Virginia's James River for 15 years and are contaminated with PCBs, asbestos, and heavy diesel.

The transatlantic deal is focusing fresh attention on the multimillion- dollar global shipbreaking trade, which sends hundreds of outdated vessels each year to countries such as Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and China, where regulations are more lax. And it is stirring concern over possible threats to public health and the environment.

British authorities argue it is better to dispose of such dangerous material in a country with the proper facilities. They have sought to play down fears of environmental degradation by pointing out that less than 1.5 percent of the total bulk of the ships is toxic waste.

But critics, including environmentalists and local residents, say that the ships, some of which are 50 years old and in parlous condition, could disintegrate in the ocean. And if they do survive the trip, their toxic elements could pollute both land and sea.

"These are US ships, in US waters," says Neil Verlander of Friends of the Earth in London. "Basically they should be cleaning up their own mess, rather than exporting it abroad, particularly given the state of disrepair of the ships, which will have a hazardous journey across the Atlantic."

The US Navy has more than 100 obsolete vessels, and pressure has been mounting for them to be disposed of before they cause an ecological catastrophe.

The US Maritime Administration, which is responsible for disposing of the James River "ghost fleet," insists that the vessels have been properly surveyed and will not be moved until certified safe. Two more vessels are set to head for northeast England soon, but the other nine are still the subject of court battles over their seaworthiness.

A US Maritime spokeswoman says that the British firm, Able UK, was chosen because "they made us an excellent offer and they have one of the best facilities in the world." But the deal is raising hackles on both sides of the Atlantic. Some British and European politicians are concerned that it may be the start of a trend. "We don't want to become the United States' dustbin," says an EU spokesman.

US shipyards, meanwhile, are frustrated that the work has gone to a foreign company. Able UK won the tender with the lowest bid. That has led some to wonder how the firm could undercut US companies despite the steep cost of towing the vessels across the Atlantic.

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