June 5th, 2006
The asbestos laden Norwegian ship, the SS Blue Lady, has been allowed to enter Alang Port after the Indian government gave clearance. The Supreme Court of India gave permission for the ship to enter the port for anchorage. The vessel is a huge one, and it is thought that over 1200 tons of asbestos are on board.
The vessel was refused entry by Bangladesh, which left it stranded at sea for several months, according to newspaper reports. A plea was made on humanitarian grounds because it was reported that there were a number of crew members on board that were running short of food and supplies due to being stranded, and this is why the government decided to allow entry for anchorage to the vessel.
It is thought that a report will be issued in the beginning of July with regards to the ship’s fate. However, there have already been concerns and complaints from environmental groups that state that the court was misled.
One environmental group stated: "The Blue Lady does not have the mandated... documents from the country of export that are required for hazardous waste shipments. Neither does it have a complete inventory of the toxic waste on board, although the ship breaker has admitted that the ship contains asbestos and polychlorinated biphenyis, a deadly neurotoxin."
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