Ship Dismantler Battles Groups Over Handling Ghost Fleet

Able UK has called for the Environment Agency to withdraw a range of damaging statements—including a suggestion that the company is in breach of international law over its contract for the recycling of redundant American vessels.

A letter from attorneys representing Able stated that it has received clear legal advice that it is fully authorized to bring the vessels into its Teesside Environmental Reclamation and Recycling Centre in the UK under the terms of the existing TransFrontier Shipment approval.

The letter points out that the Environment Agency under the terms of the approval had a period in which to object but did not do so—in fact it signified its consent by stamping the ‘consignment note’ for the shipment—adding that the there is ‘no provision or procedure’ for revoking the license.

The company added that the Environmental Agency’s claim that the authorization is invalid and the ships must be returned to the United States are both incorrect.

The company is now preparing to receive the second vessel, the Canisteo, at its facility following the successful arrival of the Caloosahatchee —proof says Able UK Managing Director Peter Stephenson that descriptions of the ships such as ‘rotting hulks’ and ‘floating time bombs’ have been totally without foundation.

 “I believe that now that people have the chance to see the reality of the ships rather than the horror stories which have been peddled by Friends of the Earth and others, they will see that they have been victims of a quite disgraceful campaign of misrepresentation and manipulation, said Stephenson.

 “We have now had the Secretary of State for the Environment, the Environment Agency, and local MPs all making clear that these ships pose no more dangers than most other vessels operating around our coasts…and in fact are less potential of having a detrimental effect on the environment than many ships coming in and out of the River Tees on a daily basis, not least because they do not contain any cargo.”