My father was stationed aboard the USS Canopus AS 34, one of the so called "Toxic Ships" that was sent to your country to be broken. If they had been UK registered vessels rather than US would the same fuss have been made? Ships in this condition have been broken up at yards around the UK for many years without the least fuss being made about them. They are conventional vessels constructed of the same materials as hundreds of ships still plying their trade around the world. The report in the local paper on Teesside lists the materials of construction of the 'ghost ships', but they appear to have no cargo - contaminated/toxic or otherwise. John, UK (and yes I'm not in Hartlepool!) Yes they should be dismantled here - far better than to run them aground on a beach in India/Pakistan/Bangladesh to be dismantled by hand with no regard to the environment or the safety of the workers. The town has been reborn, and it is so sad to see all this hard work and good publicity undone by Able UK and the US Government. Two years ago the BBC's Holiday Program gave the town a fabulous review.
The new mariner is home to hundreds of fishing and pleasure boats, and the Historic Quay attracts 100,000 visitors per year. There are many rare birds nesting here and we have a wild seal colony too. Tourism and the local environment have both benefited. Hartlepool has been rejuvenated through investment. But how many similar clean ups go unreported?
With the eyes of the country now looking for any slip up by Able UK surely the job will be done properly. Much as I agree with the basic principle that the Americans should have scrapped these ships themselves, we need to reflect on the fact that we (together with numerous other countries) continue to send ships to be broken up on beaches on the Asian sub-continent (where it's far cheaper and where there is virtually no health and safety provision for workers who use their bare hands to dismantle the vessels). The following comments reflect the balance of opinion we have received so far: Should the "ghost ships" be allowed to dock in Hartlepool? We would also like to see your pictures of the ships as they arrive on Teesside. This follows government agreement last week that the ships could be stored temporarily on Teesside before being sent back to the United States.Įnvironmental campaigners are gathering for a protest vigil against the so-called ghost ships docking.Īnd Able UK, the firm planning to wreck the ships has to convince the courts that it has the correct permission to carry out the work. The first of two contaminated former US navy ships at the centre of a legal and environmental dispute has arrived off the coast of Hartlepool.
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