Bangladesh: Breaking bodies, one ship at a time

The Bengali city of Chittagong is a graveyard for cargo vessels. Alamgir works at a shipbreaking yard dismantling the giant boats - and risking his life. There’s no social security, no safety gear and very little pay.

Alamgir started working when he was just nine years old, he tells Life Links reporter Gönna as he takes her into the world of the ship-breakers of Chittagong, Bangladesh. Hundreds of huge cargo vessels are sent here every year to be entirely dismantled, so the materials can be reused. Alamgir works with his bare hands and a blowtorch to dismantle the ships - a dangerous and backbreaking profession. There’s no social security, no safety gear nor training. Instead: low pay, accidents and a lack of alternatives. He has no choice but to keep going.

Source: head above water. 27 December 2014

http://www.dw.de/headabovewater-bangladesh-breaking-bodies-one-ship-at-a-time/a-18129071

Decommissioned carrier Ranger to be dismantled:

DECEMBER 23, 2014 — The Navy has awarded a contract for the towing and dismantling of the decommissioned aircraft carrier Ranger (CV 61) to International Shipbreaking Ltd. 

Under the contract, the company will be paid $0.01. The price reflects the net price proposed by International Shipbreaking, which considered the estimated proceeds from the sale of the scrap metal to be generated from dismantling.

This is not a sales contract, it is a procurement contract. $0.01 is the lowest price the Navy could possibly have paid the contractor for towing and dismantling the ship.

The ship will be towed from the Navy's inactive ships maintenance facility in Bremerton, WA, to International Shipbreaking Ltd.'s ship dismantling facility in Brownsville, TX, for complete dismantling and recycling. 

The ship is expected to depart Bremerton via tow in January or February 2015, and arrive in Brownsville after four to five months. The ship is too large for passage through the Panama Canal and must be towed around South America. Ranger was the third Forrestal class aircraft carrier to be built.

The ship was laid down Aug. 2, 1954, by Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Newport News, Virginia, and commissioned at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard on Aug. 10, 1957. Ranger was the only ship of the Forrestal class to spend its entire career in the Pacific. The ship made a total of 22 Western Pacific deployments, was an active participant in the Vietnam War, and was the only West Coast-based carrier to deploy in support of Operation Desert Storm.

Ranger was decommissioned July 10, 1993, after more than 35 years of service. It served as a retention asset for potential future reactivation until stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on March 8, 2004, and redesigned for donation. After eight years on donation hold, the USS Ranger Foundation was unable to raise the necessary funds to convert the ship into a museum or to overcome the physical obstacles of transporting her up the Columbia River to Fairview, OR.  As a result, the Ranger was removed from the list of ships available for dismantling and designated for dismantling.aircraft carrier Ranger (CV 61).

Source: marine log. 23 December 2014

http://www.marinelog.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=8483:decommissioned-carrier-ranger-to-be-dismantled&Itemid=231

Ship Recycling Experts Gather in Tokyo:

Top ship recycling experts from around the globe gathered in Tokyo on December 10 at the ClassNK Ship Recycling Seminar to discuss the latest updates to the EU Ship Recycling Regulation (EU Regulation), the classification society announced. Members from Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), the EU Directorate-General, and the International Chamber of Shipping together with approximately 220 other maritime professionals and policy makers attended the event hosted by leading ship classification society ClassNK.

Japan’s Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Akihiro Ota opened the event with a keynote speech discussing in detail the Hong Kong Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships (Hong Kong Convention) and the EU Regulation which went into effect in December 2013.

Emilien Gasc, Policy Officer in the Directorate General for the Environment of the European Commission, joined the seminar via video call to speak on the latest EU developments saying, “Seminars like this are extremely important. At the core of the EU Regulation is the Hong Kong Convention. At present, we have received roughly 40 comments surrounding the EU Regulation Guidance document and we are in the process of considering each one carefully.”

International Chamber of Shipping Manager (Environment and Trade) John Stawpert said, "To create safe and environmentally friendly ship recycling practices, it is essential for shipowners and other stakeholders to take responsibility and fulfill their duties in accordance with the Hong Kong Convention requirements to the best of their abilities. The EU Regulation is largely based on the already internationally recognized Hong Kong Convention, but follow-up guidance has the potential to differ significantly. Shipowners, cash buyers and ship recyclers should work towards compliance and states must drive towards ratification of the Hong Kong Convention.”

Wilhelmsen Ship Management Sdn. Bhd. Head of Lay-up, Green Recycling and IHM Services Rakesh Bhargava discussed the necessary Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM) under the EU Regulation. DSIC Marine Services Co. Ltd. and DSIC Ship Recycling Co. Ltd. Vice General Manager Shang Hong along with GSR Services GmbH CEO Henning Gramann spoke on proper ship recycling facilities. All three speakers are leaders in their respective fields and demonstrated their continued efforts towards establishing new ship recycling regulations.

ClassNK Operating Officer and Team Leader of the Ship Recycling Team Takano Hirofumi spoke about what ClassNK is doing to support safer and greener ship recycling such as the IHM creation software offered by ClassNK and how it is quickly becoming the de facto standard worldwide being utilized by over 2,200 companies. In addition, ClassNK has certified five ship recycling yards that have upgraded their facilities to be in line with the Hong Kong Convention.

Source: marine link.

http://www.marinelink.com/news/recycling-experts-gather382735.aspx

Danish companies sending ships to notorious scrapping sites:

Danish law inadequate when it comes to responsible ship breaking

According to ship scrapping watch dog website offthebeach.org, 11 Danish shipping companies and subsidiaries have sent 18 ships to be scrapped at the notorious scrap yards in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh over the past four years.

The ships are being scrapped by impoverished migrant workers in dangerous conditions for pay as little as 2.5 kroner an hour, at ship breaking yards such as in Alang, India, where at least 470 fatal accidents have occurred since 1983, according to the Brussels-based NGO Shipbreaking Platform.

”The shipyards down there, including those can call themselves ’environmental’, are miles from the standards seen at facilities such as in Denmark,” Patrizia Heidegger, the head of the NGO Shipbreaking Platform, told Ekstra Bladet tabloid.

“The workers’ security equipment is not in order and there are often accidents where they are crushed by bits of iron falling from the ships, killed in explosions and many become ill after being exposed to toxic substances like asbestos and mercury.”

Registration loophole

Since 2006 it has been forbidden to sail ships under Danish flags to the ship yards in India, but the Danish companies own many ships that are not registered in Denmark.

The Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, which was drafted back in 2009 and will toughen the regulation of ship recycling, has yet to be ratified, and so far only Norway has signed on.

And it is unlikely that the new more stringent EU rules which are going into effect in a few years will have much of an effect as few European shipping companies register their ships in EU nations.

Fact Box

Here are the Danish companies and subsidiaries whose ships have been scrapped in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh since 2009:

- Blue Line International, BLI Management sent the two ships Split 1700 in 2010 and Ancona in 2011 to be scrapped in Alang, India

- Container Leasing A/S sent the two ships CS Christine in 2012 and CS Giotte in 2013 to be scrapped in Alang, India

- CS Partners A/S sent SEA Corona to be scrapped in Alang, India in 2009

- Dania Marine ApS sent Sujin to be scrapped in Alang, India in 2013 and Philip to be scrapped in Mumbai, India in 2012

- Dannebrog Rederi sent Naesborg (2011), Marienborg (2012) and SIAM Project (2011) and Aalborg (2013) to be all scrapped in Alang, India

- Nordana Line A/S sent NORD Scan Mumbai to be scrapped in 2011 in Alang, India

- Dansk Investeringsfond DIFKO dispatched Power II to Aland India and Amberjack to Gadani, Pakistan for scrapping in 2012

- Nina Shipping K/S sent Nina to be scrapped in Cittagong, Bangladesh in 2010

- Hansen og Lange I/S sent Selma to be scrapped in Alang, India in 2013

- Seaflex A/S sent Burgos to be scrapped in Alang, India in 2010

- Transland Invest ApS sent ACE IV to be scrapped in Alang, India in 2012

Source: the copenhagen post. 22 December 2014

http://cphpost.dk/news/danish-companies-sending-ships-to-notorious-scrapping-sites.12097.html

Navy Pays Texas Ship Breaker a Penny to Dismantle Carrier Ranger:

USS Ranger

The Navy has paid a Texas ship breaker $0.01 to transport and dismantle the third American super carrier — Ranger (CV-61), according to a Monday statement from Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA).

The letting of the contract follows an October decision from the Navy to not donate the ship to the USS Ranger Foundation. The foundation had planned to moor the ship in Oregon on the Columbia River near Portland and create a museum.

“After eight years on donation hold, the USS Ranger Foundation was unable to raise the necessary funds to convert the ship into a museum or to overcome the physical obstacles of transporting her up the Columbia River to Fairfview, Oregon,” read the statement from NAVSEA.

“While there are many veterans with strong desires that the Navy not scrap the ship they served on, there were no states, municipalities or non-profit organizations with a viable plan seeking to save the ship. The Navy cannot donate a vessel unless the application fully meets the Navy’s minimum requirements for donation, and cannot retain inactive ships indefinitely.”

The hull will now be towed from the Navy’s inactive ships maintenance facility in Bremerton, Wash. to International Shipbreaking’s dismantling facility in Brownsville, Texas. The ship will depart Bremerton in January or February and travel around the tip of South America.

NAVSEA took pains to explain the financial arrangement with the company to USNI News on Monday. The $0.01 fee pays for the transportation and dismantling of Ranger by the company. After covering the cost of transportation, International Shipbreaking retains the profits from selling the scrap.

Ranger is one of four 60,000-ton Forestall-class carriers, known as the first so-called super carriers, and was in commission from 1957 to 1993.

The ship served extensively in the Vietnam War and later in Operation Desert Storm.

The following is the complete Dec. 22, 2014 statement from NAVSEA.

Navy Awards Contract for Ranger Dismantling

From: Naval Sea Systems Command Office of Corporate Communication

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the Navy awarded a contract for the towing and dismantling of the decommissioned aircraft carrier Ranger (CV 61) to International Shipbreaking Ltd.

Under the contract, the company will be paid $0.01. The price reflects the net price proposed by International Shipbreaking, which considered the estimated proceeds from the sale of the scrap metal to be generated from dismantling. This is not a sales contract, it is a procurement contract. $0.01 is the lowest price the Navy could possibly have paid the contractor for towing and dismantling the ship.

The ship will be towed from the Navy’s inactive ships maintenance facility in Bremerton, Washington, to International Shipbreaking Ltd.’s ship dismantling facility in Brownsville, Texas for complete dismantling and recycling.

The ship is expected to depart Bremerton via tow in January or February 2015, and arrive in Brownsville after four to five months. The ship is too large for passage through the Panama Canal and must be towed around South America.

Ranger was the third Forrestal class aircraft carrier to be built. The ship was laid down Aug. 2, 1954, by Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Newport News, Virginia, and commissioned at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard on Aug. 10, 1957. Ranger was the only ship of the Forrestal class to spend its entire career in the Pacific. The ship made a total of 22 Western Pacific deployments, was an active participant in the Vietnam War, and was the only West Coast-based carrier to deploy in support of Operation Desert Storm.

Ranger was decommissioned July 10, 1993, after more than 35 years of service. It served as a retention asset for potential future reactivation until stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on March 8, 2004, and redesigned for donation. After eight years on donation hold, the USS Ranger Foundation was unable to raise the necessary funds to convert the ship into a museum or to overcome the physical obstacles of transporting her up the Columbia River to Fairfview, Oregon. As a result, the Ranger was removed from the list of ships available for dismantling and designated for dismantling.

While there are many veterans with strong desires that the Navy not scrap the ship they served on, there were no states, municipalities or non-profit organizations with a viable plan seeking to save the ship. The Navy cannot donate a vessel unless the application fully meets the Navy’s minimum requirements for donation, and cannot retain inactive ships indefinitely.

Source: usni news. 22 December 2014

http://news.usni.org/2014/12/22/navy-pays-texas-ship-breaker-penny-dismantle-carrier-ranger

No Case of Dumping Hazardous Waste by Shipbreaking:

Minister of State for Shipping, Shri Pon. Radhakrishnan informed the Rajya Sabha today that no instance has been reported regarding any country dumping hazardous waste in India by sending ships for breaking.

On the directions of the Hon'ble Supreme Court, the Government had notified the Ship Breaking Code 2013 on 7th March 2013 incorporating the recommendations of the Committee of Technical Experts on ship-breaking. The Code elaborately stipulates procedure to be followed for ship-breaking. Ships arriving for breaking purposes are not allowed without obtaining proper consent of the concerned authority or the State Maritime Board (SMB), stating that it does not contain any hazardous waste or radioactive substances. The consent is issued in consultation with Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) and Custom authorities. Any hazardous material in an empty ship is decontaminated by experts before taking it for dismantling/breaking. The small quantities of hazardous material, if any, embedded in the structure of the vessels are disposed of in an environmentally safe manner through Treatment and Safe Disposal Facilities set up for this purpose.

The Hazardous Waste (Management, Handling and Transboundary Movement), Rules 2008 has been notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change for proper management and handling of hazardous waste. Under the Rules, import of hazardous waste from any country for disposal is not permitted. The State Pollution Control Board or Pollution Control Committees constituted under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974 are empowered to take action against violations.

Source: business standard. 22 December 2014

http://www.business-standard.com/article/government-press-release/no-case-of-dumping-hazardous-waste-by-ship-breaking-114122300038_1.html

LR supports application by two Chinese recycling facilities to join European List:

LR’s initial verification of the Ship Recycling Facility Plans for both Zhoushan Changhong International Ship Recycling Co. Ltd. and Jiangyin Xiagang Changjiang Ship Recycling Yard – the first non-EU applications – is a vital first step towards the facilities’ inclusion on the European Union’s list.

LR is working with facilities seeking to be at the forefront of sustainable ship recycling and continues to support Sea2Cradle who have been assisting shipyards in complying with international, regional and local regulatory requirements.

The official documents for the application were presented at a ceremony at the Berlaymont offices of the European Commission in Brussels by Mr Li Hongwei, owner of Zhoushan Changhong International Ship Recycling Co. Ltd. and Jiangyin Xiagang Changjiang Shiprecycling Yard, Mr Tom Peter Blankestijn of Sea2Cradle, and LR’s Jim Heath.

With a capacity of 1.1 million LDT (light displacement tonnes) and 1.2 million LDT respectively, the Zhoushan and Jiangyin yards are the largest ship recycling facilities in the world.

Jim Heath, LR’s Ship Recycling Product Manager, commented: “By inviting LR to provide independent third-party assessment of their Ship Recycling Facility Plans, the Zhoushan and Jiangyin yards have not just moved in advance of regulation; they have recognised the importance of attaining independent, reputable certification to help differentiate themselves from the significant number of yards who are unable to demonstrate they operate in accordance with IMO or EU requirements.”

LR is now able to look forward to helping Zhoushan and Jiangyin complete their application process to the European Commission. Upon successful completion of the site inspections, early in 2015, LR will be in a position to provide a certificate of compliance in accordance with both the IMO’s convention on ship recycling (The Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships) and the European Ship Recycling Regulation.

Jim Heath, commenting on the benefits of compliance said that LR fully supports the IMO’s Hong Kong Convention and the principles behind the European Ship Recycling Regulation. “LR believes that shipowners should be able to send their ships to be recycled at facilities that are in compliance with relevant legislation. This can only help to drive further improvements in the shipbreaking industry.”

Source: Hellenic Shipping News. 22 December 2014

http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/lr-supports-application-by-two-chinese-recycling-facilities-to-join-european-list/

Commission appoints new member to Kanawha County Solid Waste Authority

Members of the Kanawha County Commission have appointed county economic development specialist Dave Armstrong to replace Kasey Russell on the Kanawha County Solid Waste Authority.

Russell, who had been chairwoman of the Solid Waste Authority’s governing board, resigned this week along with past chairman Rod Watkins.

The resignations come in the wake of criticism by county officials of a deal the Solid Waste Authority made with private businessman George Hunyadi to run recycling operations at the crumbling Slack Street recycling center in Charleston. Solid Waste officials entered into a lease agreement with Hunyadi in 2012 to sort and ship recycling from Slack Street, but sold the businessman most of the authority’s vehicles, sorting and baling equipment. Hunyadi’s business has since failed, and he sold off most of the equipment, crippling the county’s recycling program.

The Solid Waste Authority voted to sever ties with Hunyadi in October, but by then the damage was done. Solid waste officials have been struggling ever since with how to salvage recycling in Kanawha County.

County Commissioners Kent Carper, Hoppy Shores and Dave Hardy voted unanimously at a special meeting Tuesday to appoint Armstrong to replace Russell on the Solid Waste Authority’s governing board. Russell was one of two board members appointed by the commission.

Armstrong, economic development specialist for the county commission, had already been tasked to help come up with a solution to the recycling dilemma, and has been attending regular meetings of the Solid Waste Authority. Armstrong said he is already working on a plan to save the county’s recycling efforts.

Commissioners also voted to write a letter to the state Public Service Commission urging them to appoint a replacement quickly for Watkins. Watkins was the PSC’s appointee to the solid waste board.

Also Tuesday, commissioners voted to end extended hours on Thursday at the county courthouse.

For years, the courthouse has been open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursdays to give county residents who work extra time to conduct county business. But staff say the extended hours aren’t utilized enough to warrant paying county workers to stay overtime on Thursdays.

Effective Jan. 1, the courthouse will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Source: 16 December 2014

http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20141216/GZ01/141219378/1101

Government launches special drive to ensure industrial peace

NEW DELHI: Government has launched a special drive for registration of all unorganised sector units in a web portal that will ensure transparency and accountability in labour inspections and create conducive environment for industrial peace and harmony.

Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya told Lok Sabha that the 'Shram Suvidha Portal' provides for allotment of a unique labour identification number to the establishments of unorganised sector.

He said the web portal also envisages transparent and convenient labour inspection scheme with selection criteria, keeping in view the provisions of respective labour laws, filing of self-certified and simplified single on-line return and timely redressal of grievances through the portal.

He said during Question Hour that along with the unique number, smart card will be given to those units which register with the portal and plans are afoot to bring all sectors, including housing and Anganwadi workers, in its ambit.

"Social security for all employees is very necessary. Even contract workers will be brought under it," he said.

The Minister said the portal will enhance convenience of registration of establishments and filing of returns under different Labour Acts and the mandatory uploading of inspection reports within 72 hours would ensure check on the arbitrariness in inspections and will ensure more effective and purposeful labour inspections.

The Labour Minister said single on-line returns and on-line inspection reports will lead to better compliance and enforcement of labour laws thereby, benefiting the workers.

Dattatreya said the portal will have complete database at one place to facilitate systemic policy discourse and informed decision making.

"This will also create conducive environment for industrial harmony. The grievance redressal system would also bring transparency and accountability in enforcement of labour laws for the benefit of employees," he said.

Replying to another question, the Labour Minister said government has received a report of the inter-ministerial committee on ship breaking and notified ship breaking code 2013 in the official gazette.

"The ship breaking code 2013 comprises various elements on safety and health of workers engaged in ship breaking activities. The provisions contained under this code are required to be complied and implemented by ship recycling owners (factory occupiers) and concerned stake holders," he said.

Source: economic times. 15 December 2014

http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-12-15/news/57072091_1_labour-laws-web-portal-labour-inspection-scheme

Chinese Yards Apply for EU Regulation on Ship Recycling:

Two Chinese ship recycling yards have applied for inclusion of their facilities in the future EU list of Ship Recycling Facilities.

The official documents for the application were presented yesterday in Brussels to Julio Burgués, Head of the Unit Waste Management and Recycling of the European Commission’s Directorate General for Environment by Li Hongwei owner of Zhoushan Changhong International Ship Recycling Co., Ltd and Jiang Xiagang Changjiang Shiprecycling Yard. With a capacity of respectively 100 vessels (1.1 million Light Displacement Ton) and 120 vessels (1,2 million LDT) these two yards are the largest ship recycling facilities in the world.

The application follows the new Ship Recycling Regulation of the European Commission which was adopted in November 2013.

Li stated that his goal is to serve all ship owners around the globe with the highest possible standards and that sufficient green recycling capacity “no longer is subject to discussion but a reality.” In addition, Li stated, “We welcome the initiative of the European Union and invite them to audit and inspect our yards at any given time. We are pleased to improve and invest further to achieve the highest level required.”

The ceremony at the Berlaymont office of the European Commission in Brussels was attended by Tom Peter Blankestijn of company Sea2Cradle who have assisted a significant number of leading ship owners to recycle their vessels at the facilities in China. Blankestijn stated, “With the experience of executing close to a 100 projects these yards have developed into the best in the world offering the highest standards on Health Safety and Environment in the industry.”

The quality level of details of waste handling and waste disposal, now incorporated in the Ship Recycling Facility Plan (SRFP), is the basis of today’s EU application. “We are very proud that these are the first yards, also from outside the OECD, to apply for EU approval,” Blankestijn said, emphasizing that working together with Lloyds Register was of great benefit to achieve this quality level of the yard procedures.

Although the internal process towards publication of the EU list is still ongoing representatives of the DG Environment of the European Commission, who had visited the yards in 2013, stated to be very pleased with the application of the Chinese yards to the EU list of Facilities.

The European Union itself was complimented by Secretary General Bernard Veldhoven of the International Ship Recycling Association (ISRA) for their legislative work. “Europe has shown us that when there is a political will, legislation can change the dynamics of an industry in a relatively short period.”

A second compliment from ISRA went to Li Hongwei for creating a huge ship recycling capacity in China and offering ship owners the green alternative for phasing out their ships. It is expected more members of the International Ship Recycling Association (ISRA), amongst them yards in Turkey, will follow the application process.

Source: marine link. 18 December 2014

http://www.marinelink.com/news/regulation-recycling382568.aspx

LR Supports Chinese Recycling Yards' EU Application:

LR’s initial verification of the Ship Recycling Facility Plans for both Zhoushan Changhong International Ship Recycling Co. Ltd. and Jiangyin Xiagang Changjiang Ship Recycling Yard – the first non-EU applications – is a vital first step towards the facilities’ inclusion on the European Union’s list.

Lloyd’s Register (LR) said it is working with facilities seeking to be at the forefront of sustainable ship recycling and continues to support Sea2Cradle who have been assisting the shipyards in complying with international, regional and local regulatory requirements.

The official documents for the application were presented at a ceremony at the Berlaymont offices of the European Commission in Brussels by Li Hongwei, owner of Zhoushan Changhong International Ship Recycling Co. Ltd. and Jiangyin Xiagang Changjiang Shiprecycling Yard, Tom Peter Blankestijn of Sea2Cradle, and LR’s Jim Heath.

With a capacity of 1.1 million LDT (light displacement tonnes) and 1.2 million LDT respectively, the Zhoushan and Jiangyin yards are the largest ship recycling facilities in the world.

Jim Heath, LR’s Ship Recycling Product Manager, commented, "By inviting LR to provide independent third-party assessment of their Ship Recycling Facility Plans, the Zhoushan and Jiangyin yards have not just moved in advance of regulation; they have recognised the importance of attaining independent, reputable certification to help differentiate themselves from the significant number of yards who are unable to demonstrate they operate in accordance with IMO or EU requirements."

LR is now able to look forward to helping Zhoushan and Jiangyin complete their application process to the European Commission. Upon successful completion of the site inspections, early in 2015, LR will be in a position to provide a certificate of compliance in accordance with both the IMO’s convention on ship recycling (The Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships) and the European Ship Recycling Regulation.

Jim Heath, commenting on the benefits of compliance said that LR fully supports the IMO’s Hong Kong Convention and the principles behind the European Ship Recycling Regulation. "LR believes that shipowners should be able to send their ships to be recycled at facilities that are in compliance with relevant legislation. This can only help to drive further improvements in the shipbreaking industry."

Source: marine link. 18 December 2014

http://www.marinelink.com/news/application-recycling382569.aspx

Chinese ship recycling duo bid for Brussels approval:

Yard owner applies to be on the list of facilities approved to demolish European-flag ships

Two privately owned Chinese recycling yards are making a bid to win approval from the European Union (EU) to break up ships registered with a member state.

Zhoushan Changhong International Ship Recycling Co and Jiang Xiagang Changjiang Ship Recycling Yard owner Hongwei Li personally handed over the applications to Julio Burgues, head of the EU’s waste management and recycling unit, this week.

Burgues is familiar with the yards, having visited them both in 2013, and is understood to be keen on granting approval.

Li says the pair are the first and second-largest ship-recycling facilities in the world and between them have the capacity to annually recycle a whopping 220 ships with an average lightweight of 10,500 tons each.

It is understood that this is the first application of its kind from a non-OECD ship-recycling facility. Both are purpose built using quayside and drydocks to demolish tonnage.

Recycling consultancy Sea2cradle founder Tom Peter Blankestijn has managed around 90 projects at the yards and says they have the highest standards of health, safety and the environment in the industry.

He says the waste-disposal facilities at both yards are a key part of the application.

“The quality levels and detail of the waste disposal that are now incorporated in the [European] ship recycling facility plan, is the basis of today’s EU application,” he said.

Class society Lloyd’s Register has also assisted in verifying the quality level at the facilities.

The application is based on the EU’s ship-recycling regulation, which was approved this year and requires EU-flag ships to be demolished only at approved recycling yards.

Recycling yards must meet a number of strict safety and environmental criteria, including dismantling on a non-permeable floor, which in effect rules out beaching as a method of dismantling ships. Almost all the breaking capacity in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh will not be able to meet the EU approval criteria.

Li is also vice-chairman of the International Ship Recycling Association, an organisation that earlier this year strongly criticised “unacceptable” methods used by some beaching yards.

“International legislation like the recently introduced European Regulation on ship recycling should help to make an end to these practices which are very bad for human safety and the image of this industry,” it said in a statement.

However, the Indian Recycling Association has claimed that its members have made significant progress improving safety and environmental protection. They claim that the EU’s move to ban beaching threatens to isolate them and may be detrimental to improvements being made.

In addition, Chinese recycling yards pay significantly less than Indian and Pakistan facilities for tonnage, which could work against them in the market.

Zhoushan Changhong and Jiang Xiagang Changjiang are expected to be joined by Turkish yards in applying for EU approval.

Source: steel guru. 19 December 2014

http://www.tradewindsnews.com/weekly/351076/Chinese-ship-recycling-duo-bid-for-Brussels-approval

World's largest recycling yards apply for EU accreditation

Two Chinese ship recycling yards, the world's largest facilities, have applied for the EU's future list of approved ship recycling facilities.

Representatives from Zhoushan Changhong International Ship Recycling and Xiagang Changjiang Ship Recycling, which have capacities of 1.1m and 1.2m ldt respectively, submitted official documents to the European Commission at a ceremony in Brussels yesterday.

Under new regulations adopted in November 2013, only facilities on the EU's list will be permitted to recycle ships flying the flag of an EU member state. The rules will come into force by the end of 2016 at the latest.

Li Hongwei, owner of both yards, commented: “We welcome the initiative of the European Union and invite them to audit and inspect our yards at any given time. We are pleased to improve and invest further to achieve the highest level required”.

Tom Blankestijn of ship recycling facilitator and consultancy Sea2Cradle stated: “With the experience of executing close to 100 projects these yards have developed into the best in the world, offering the highest standards on Health Safety and Environment in the industry.

“We are very proud that these are the first yards, also from outside the OECD, to apply for EU approval,” he added.

Source: seatrade global. 18 December 2014

http://www.seatrade-global.com/news/asia/worlds-largest-recycling-yards-apply-for-eu-list.html

Report: Dire Conditions in Indian Shipbreaking Yards

Report by Indian research institute reveals poor enforcement of occupational health and safety provisions

The working and living conditions at the shipbreaking yards of Alang, India, remain alarmingly poor, argues a new study published in the Economic & Political Weekly, an Indian Social Science journal. The research was commissioned and financed by the National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC) and was coordinated by Dr. Geetanjoy Sahu from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). TISS’ findings are based on field work in Alang from April 2013 to May 2014 including interviews with 300 shipbreaking workers as well as stakeholders from the industry, trade unions and authorities.

The study finds that the “costs to workers’ health and the environment are alarming” while the profit margins for both the yard owners and the contractors providing the labor force are extremely high. Dr Sahu reports that the approximately 35,000 unorganized migrant workers at Alang continue to live in shanty dwellings without adequate facilities for drinking water, sanitation and electricity. The authorities have set up only 12 showers and six toilets. As a result, “workers are forced to defecate in the open.”

Official figures accessed by TISS report at least 470 fatal accidents in the yards since they were first set up in 1983, making shipbreaking one of the most dangerous occupations in India. Indian human rights advocates referred to in the report estimate however that there is a far higher number of victims, especially because the long-term consequence of unsafe shipbreaking activities, including occupational diseases such as cancer, and resulting deaths are not taken into consideration by the authorities. The report refers to the National Institute of Occupational Health, which had found out that 15 out of 94 examined workers showed signs of diseases caused by exposure to asbestos.

“It is scandalous that no shipbreaking company has been held responsible for the deaths and accidents at the yards,” said Patrizia Heidegger, Executive Director of the NGO Shipbreaking Platform. “Shipbreakers do get arrested and even charged for homicide, but the industry, in particular the Ship Recycling Industries Association (SRIA) is, as the report points out, well connected and has so far succeeded in avoiding being held liable for their negligence.”

Around 100 workers are treated every day at the local Red Cross hospital. They show a very high rate of injuries resulting from work at the yards, and a high prevalence of occupational diseases. According to the report, the Red Cross hospital is understaffed and lacks the necessary facilities to treat serious injuries where lives are at stake.

“The lack of adequate healthcare facilities in Alang is nothing new,” Heidegger said, “an Inter-Ministerial Committee has been raising the issue since 2005 – with no result. This situation is miserable.”

A 100-bed hospital is constructed by the Employee’s State Insurances Company for all industries employing more than 25,000 workers. As many workers in Alang are not officially registered by the employers – only around 16,000 currently, i.e. less than half of the workforce – the Alang shipbreaking yards do not benefit from the scheme. There is also a lack of educational facilities for the migrant workers’ children.

The research team found that workers are not provided with adequate safety training and protective equipment such as masks, gloves and boots. Workers revealed that in most cases personal protective equipment was only distributed before audits and official visits, such as by the National Human Rights Commission.

In addition to serious health and safety risks, the researchers documented delays in the payments of wages, unauthorized deductions, unpaid leave and overtime payments not in line with legal requirements. TISS also points out the absence of an active and strong trade union representing the interests of migrant workers. Though the Alang-Sosiya Ship Recycling and General Workers’ Association formed in 2006 seeks to support the workers, it is confined to individual support rather than collective rights. Many workers shared their fear of losing their jobs if they were to protest against their working and living conditions. What makes the situation more difficult is that many of the local village leaders benefit from the industry, for instance by renting out shacks to workers or selling them drinking water. Thus, the migrant workers also find little support amongst local leaders.

The report highlights that law enforcement by the various central and state government agencies that are involved in the regulatory control of the industry remains weak. The Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB), the nodal agency, has been very permissive regarding violation of rules and regulations by shipbreaking yards. Responsible agencies, such as the Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health, have been found understaffed and the Inter-Ministerial Committees reduced to symbolic meetings not taken seriously by the Ministry of Steel (which was until recently the focal ministry for the shipbreaking sector) “as every meeting ends in assurances by the SRIA and implementing agencies to resolve water, sanitation, housing safety, and hospital issues, but nothing significant has so far been done in this direction”. Dr Sahu points out that this has to be understood in the larger context of “lopsided development at the cost of human rights and the environment” under the so-called ‘Gujarat model’ of development, introduced by the current Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his tenure as the Chief Minister of the state.

“We share the conclusion of the report arguing that there cannot be any further delays in ensuring better working and living conditions”, comments Heidegger. “The situation is alarming and the report is a clear call to Indian authorities. But the report’s findings also reveal the misleading efforts of especially SRIA when they claim that Indian shipbreaking yards are ‘green’ recycling facilities operating in accordance with international standards. It is clear that without compliance with basic rights including housing, sanitation, drinking water, health facilities, fair wages and adequate safety provisions, the Alang yards are still far from ensuring sustainable ship recycling.”

Source: Marine Link. 17 December 2014

http://www.marinelink.com/news/shipbreaking-conditions382595.aspx

GMS weekly report on Indian ship breaking industry for WEEK 50 OF 2014:

A few signs of life began to emerge from the Indian market this week and several fresh deals were concluded as a result.

Yet, end buyers seem as confused as cash buyers as to where market levels should actually be. Whilst steel prices regained some of the losses of previous weeks, the Indian Rupee depreciated to excess INR 62 again (almost touching INR 63) against the US Dollar, in some worrying developments during the week.

Subsequently, many end users simply abstained from any buying or offering, fearful of further falls and not willing to book any new units whilst such uncertainty is in play.

Notwithstanding, three new units were concluded by hardy end buyers, with MSC selling another unit as the MSC JENNY (14,898 LDT) fetched a decent USD 461 per LT LDT (with inward clearance for Buyer’s account).

Glory Ship management of Singapore also sold two more of their older logger type vessels as the MERCURY (7,452 LDT) and ASEAN WISDOM (7,466 LDT) received USD 437 per LT LDT en bloc for a likely January delivery.

 

Source:  steel guru. 15 December 2014

http://www.steelguru.com/indian_news/GMS_weekly_report_on_Indian_ship_breaking_industry_for_WEEK_50/354365.html

GMS weekly report on Bangladesh ship breaking industry for WEEK 50 of 2014:

Expensive and plentiful past few tides have seen demand and offers in Bangladesh all but dry up of late. Whilst there is still demand from one or two of the bigger buyers to even out some of their recent high priced acquisitions, these are largely at bargain rates, well below prevailing market levels even.

Chittagong is therefore expected to endure a very quiet end to the year, with very few new units expected to be concluded and only incoming / previously concluded vessels set to hit the beach.

It is extremely difficult to gauge on price as a result, with many end users not quoting on tonnage at all, but preferring to wait and watch developments across the sub continent.

Source: steel guru. 17 December 2014

http://www.steelguru.com/indian_news/GMS_weekly_report_on_Bangladesh_ship_breaking_industry_for_WEEK_50/354369.html

Dire working and living conditions in Indian shipbreaking yards

Report by Indian research institute reveals poor enforcement of occupational health and safety provisions

Brussels, 18 December 2014 - The working and living conditions at the shipbreaking yards of Alang, India, remain alarmingly poor, argues a new study published in the Economic & Political Weekly, a well known Indian Social Science journal. The research was commissioned and financed by the National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC) and was coordinated by Dr Geetanjoy Sahu from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). TISS’ findings are based on intensive field work in Alang from April 2013 to May 2014 including interviews with 300 shipbreaking workers as well as stakeholders from the industry, trade unions and authorities.

The study finds that the “costs to workers’ health and the environment are alarming” while the profit margins for both the yard owners and the contractors providing the labour force are extremely high. Dr Sahu reports that the approximately 35,000 unorganised migrant workers at Alang continue to live in shanty dwellings without adequate facilities for drinking water, sanitation and electricity. The authorities have set up only 12 showers and six toilets. As a result, “workers are forced to defecate in the open”.

Official figures accessed by TISS report at least 470 fatal accidents in the yards since they were first set up in 1983, making shipbreaking one of the most dangerous occupations in India. Indian human rights advocates referred to in the report estimate however that there is a far higher number of victims, especially because the long-term consequence of unsafe shipbreaking activities, including occupational diseases such as cancer, and resulting deaths are not taken into consideration by the authorities. The report refers to the National Institute of Occupational Health, which had found out that 15 out of 94 examined workers showed signs of diseases caused by exposure to asbestos.

“It is scandalous that no shipbreaking company has been held responsible for the deaths and accidents at the yards”, says Patrizia Heidegger, Executive Director of the NGO Shipbreaking Platform. “Shipbreakers do get arrested and even charged for homicide, but the industry, in particular the Ship Recycling Industries Association (SRIA) is, as the report points out, well connected and has so far succeeded in avoiding being held liable for their negligence”. The result: impunity from punishment.

Around 100 workers are treated every day at the local Red Cross hospital. They show a very high rate of injuries resulting from work at the yards, and a high prevalence of occupational diseases. According to the report, the Red Cross hospital is understaffed and lacks the necessary facilities to treat serious injuries where lives are at stake.

“The lack of adequate healthcare facilities in Alang is nothing new”, says Heidegger, “an Inter-Ministerial Committee has been raising the issue since 2005 – with no result. This situation is miserable.”

A 100-bed hospital is constructed by the Employee’s State Insurances Company for all industries employing more than 25,000 workers. As many workers in Alang are not officially registered by the employers – only around 16,000 currently, i.e. less than half of the workforce – the Alang shipbreaking yards do not benefit from the scheme. Equally alarming is the lack of educational facilities for the migrant workers’ children.

The research team also found out that workers are not provided with adequate safety training and protective equipment such as masks, gloves and boots. Workers revealed that in most cases personal protective equipment was only distributed before audits and official visits, such as by the National Human Rights Commission.

In addition to serious health and safety risks, the researchers documented delays in the payments of wages, unauthorised deductions, unpaid leave and overtime payments not in line with legal requirements. TISS also points out the absence of an active and strong trade union representing the interests of migrant workers. Though the Alang-Sosiya Ship Recycling and General Workers’ Association formed in 2006 seeks to support the workers, it is confined to individual support rather than collective rights. Many workers shared their fear of losing their jobs if they were to protest against their working and living conditions. What makes the situation more difficult is that many of the local village leaders benefit from the industry, for instance by renting out shacks to workers or selling them drinking water. Thus, the migrant workers also find little support amongst local leaders.

The report highlights that law enforcement by the various central and state government agencies that are involved in the regulatory control of the industry remains weak. The Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB), the nodal agency, has been very permissive regarding violation of rules and regulations by shipbreaking yards. Responsible agencies, such as the Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health, have been found understaffed and the Inter-Ministerial Committees reduced to symbolic meetings not taken seriously by the Ministry of Steel (which was until recently the focal ministry for the shipbreaking sector) “as every meeting ends in assurances by the SRIA and implementing agencies to resolve water, sanitation, housing safety, and hospital issues, but nothing significant has so far been done in this direction”. Dr Sahu points out that this has to be understood in the larger context of “lopsided development at the cost of human rights and the environment” under the so-called ‘Gujarat model’ of development, introduced by the current Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his tenure as the Chief Minister of the state.

“We share the conclusion of the report arguing that there cannot be any further delays in ensuring better working and living conditions”, comments Heidegger. “The situation is alarming and the report is a clear call to Indian authorities. But the report’s findings also reveal the misleading efforts of especially SRIA when they claim that Indian shipbreaking yards are ‘green’ recycling facilities operating in accordance with international standards. It is clear that without compliance with basic rights including housing, sanitation, drinking water, health facilities, fair wages and adequate safety provisions, the Alang yards are still far from ensuring sustainable ship recycling.”

Source: NGO shipbreaking platform