Toxic ships set off alarm in Bangladesh

Ivory Coast-ravaging death vessel bought by unidentified Bangladeshi; another US-flagged ship reportedly reaches Chittagong

The controversial ship renamed Gulf Jash. Inset, The ship in its old name -- Probo Koala. Photo: collected from internet

The infamous toxic ship Gulf Jash, previously known as Probo Koala, which caused death and panic in Abidjan in 2006, has been sold to an unspecified shipbreaker in Chittagong, raising fear of a discharge of hazardous substances.

Also, according to US Maritime Administration (MARAD), another ship Harriette (IMO No 7516993), owned by US registered company Sealand, LLC, is at Chittagong anchorage, defying United States Toxic Substance Control Act.

However, The Daily Star could not verify the claim immediately.

The act makes it mandatory that every US flagged ship obtain authorisation from MARAD before export for scrapping.

The Gulf Jash with an IMO (International Maritime Organisation) number of 8309816, now off Vietnam, is believed to carry toxic chemicals, including mercaptans that attack the respiratory system, hydrogen sulphide that damage the central nervous system and caustic soda having a wide range of health effects on humans.

Global Marketing System (GMS), a US company specialised in brokering of vessels for demolition, has confirmed the sale of Gulf Jash but refused to disclose its final destination.

The NGO Shipbreaking Platform, a global coalition of human rights, environmental and labour rights groups, raised a worldwide alarm on May 24 and said the ship contains many tonnes of hazardous asbestos, PCBs, toxic paints, fuel and chemical residues.

Syeda Rizwana Hasan, chief executive of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers' Association (Bela), told The Daily Star over the phone from China yesterday that following a tip-off from international watchdogs, her office has warned the Bangladesh authorities about the sale of Gulf Jash to an unspecified Bangladeshi shipbeaker.

Bela has also written to the Bangladesh Bank for information on the Letter of Credit (LC) through which the ship was bought in the international market.

BELA has written to the Department of Environment, Mercantile Marine Department and also the Chittagong Customs, warning them about the imminent arrival of Gulf Jash.

“We have demanded in our letters that ships with such toxicity on board be prevented from entering Bangladeshi territory,” said Rizwana.

Charlotte Nithart, director of Robins des Bois, an association for protection of people and environment, is also trying to tack down the vessel.

Charlotte Nithart said if dismantled, the Probo Koala will definitely expose the workers and environment to specific risk. “It is not an ordinary ship, we asked the authority in Bangladesh to very carefully inspect the ship and refuse its beaching.”

Officials of the Department of Shipping, one of the several departments in Bangladesh that issues no-objection certificate to scrap ships, were unable to confirm anything about Gulf Jash.

The transitional company and oil trader Trafigura used Probo Koala for reducing high mercaptans sulphur levels in low grade coker naptha with caustic soda.

As land facilities no longer allowed this controversial process of caustic washing, Trafigura decided to carry out these dangerous operations onboard the vessel. At one point Trafigura attempted to get rid of the toxic residues in Amsterdam. The Dutch government asked Trafigura to pay for the cleaning costs.

At this stage, the company chose to unload its toxic wastes in Abidjan.

Not much is known about the US flagged ship Harriette in Chittagong, but in 2006 toxic waste from the Probo Koala caused 17 deaths and serious sickness to over one lakh people in Abidjan, the largest city in Ivory Coast. The same year the Greek owner of the ship changed its name to Gulf Jash.

Source: The Daily Star. By Morshed Ali Khan. Friday, May 27, 2011

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