NEWS
Date published: 23 August 2006 00:00
Modified On: 7 October 2013 00:00

Activists Demand Toxic Ship to be Sent Back

Activists demanded the Minister of Environment that the Dutch ship Otapan loaded with high levels of asbestos should be sent back. Netherlands sent the ship to Izmir for tearing down but rejected to declare the level of toxic waste involved.

İstanbul
Environmentalist activists demanded Osman Pepe, the Minister o Environment and Forests to keep his promise and send Otapan, the ship loaded with asbestos back to Netherlands.

Pepe had announced that they had consulted with authorities in Netherlands and in case the level of asbestos on the ship exceeded the amount declared, it should be sent back.

While the time limit ended yesterday, there were no responses from the home country.

"Cheap labour force"

Otapan was sent to Izmir, Turkey to be teared down. No country had accepted that mission and it was resting in Netherlands since 1999.

Initiatiative to Prevent Hazardous Ship Decomposition, formed by more than ten NGO's, said that the Dutch government is violating both the EU law and the Basel Convention which forbids toxic waste trade.

The spokesperson for the initiative remarked that Otapan is now outside Turkish waters but the Dutch government hadn't yet acted to take the ship back.

The Dutch government had confessed that Otapan was sent to Turkey because of low labour costs.(EZÖ/EÖ/EÜ)

https://bianet.org/haber/activists-demand-toxic-ship-to-be-sent-back-84154
2024-04-30 04:56:11