The High Court today sought assessment
reports from three agencies on the presence of naturally occurring radioactive
material of MT Producer, an imported toxic scrap vessel now at a ship breaking
yard in Chittagong.
Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission,
Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority and Marine Port Initiative of
Bangladesh Customs have been asked to submit the assessment reports on the
radiation contamination of MT Producer (North Sea Producer) before it in 10
weeks.
The court also issued a rule asking the
respondents to explain in three weeks why giving clearance certificate in
favour of MT Producer, the Maersk owned 52,000-tonne huge Floating Production
Storage and Offloading (FPSO) purchased by Janata Steel Mill (Ship Breaking
Yard) at a record price of Tk 51.82 crore from Danish Shipping Company Marks,
should not be declared illegal.
In the rule, the court also asked the
respondents to reply why action should not be taken against the seller of the
vessel for giving a false announcement about it and why foreign experts should
not be appointed to ensure safe scrap of the vessel at the cost of the
importer.
The HC bench of Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed and
Justice Md Salim came up with the order and rule following a writ petition
filed by Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) challenging the
legality of authorities’ decision to import MT Producer, its beaching and
scrapping.
Bela chief Advocate Syeda Rizawana Hasan told
The Daily Star that Janata Steel Mill has imported MT Producer in August last
year in violation of the existing laws and court orders and made a false
announcement saying that there was no toxic material in the vessels.
Janata Steel Mill has collected a clearance
certificate from an unknown agency and the ministry of industries most
arbitrarily permitted the breaking of the vessel on September 8, 2016 although
the department of environment never issued environmental clearance in favour of
breaking of the vessel, she said.
After a news report titled “Maersk and the
hazardous waste in Bangladesh” was published in a leading Danish newspaper
DANWATCH on October 15, 2016, it first came to public attention that the said
vessel has been sold to Bangladesh, Advocate Rizwana added.
Secretaries to the ministries of industries,
environment and forest, commerce and labour and employment; chairmen of
Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission and Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory
Authority; deputy commissioner of Chittagong; director general of the coast
guard; collector of customs, Bangladesh customs; chairman of Chittagong port
authority; chief inspector of department of explosives; director general of the
directorate of Inspection for factories and establishments; director of
department of environment; principal officer of mercantile marine department;
president of Bangladesh ship breakers association; proprietor of Janata steel
corporation (ship breaking yard) and managing director of M/S HR ship
management ltd (safety agency) have been made respondents.
Source:the daily star. 08 June 2017
No comments:
Post a Comment