The ship reached its current location on October 5, per instructions by the Directorate of Ports and Coasts of the Brazilian Navy. The latter had ordered for the hull to be inspected in the maritime waiting area by a Salvage Master company, contracted by SOK, in order to verify its integrity. Accordingly, AWS Service performed inspections on October 12 and October 14, and concluded that, due to degradation and structural damage as a result of environmental influences, the "immediate mooring/docking is recommended for structural repair, to avoid the expansion of damage and the possible loss of stability for a long period at sea."

After the ship is safely moored in Brazil, NGOs call for a complete re-initiation of the plan for the safe recycling or reuse of the ship - one that ensures that human health and the environment are protected as a priority. Considering the illegality of the attempted transboundary movement of hazardous waste to Turkey under a Barcelona Convention protocol, and the buyer’s unreliable Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM) submissions, the NGOs are urging Brazil and France (the original naval owner) to start over, perform a new IHM, and initiate a new sale with only legal and capable destinations participating.

For more information:

Jim Puckett, Basel Action Network, e-mail: jpuckett@ban.org, Phone: +1 206-354-0391

Annie Thébaud-Mony, for Ban Asbestos-France Association, email: annie.mony@gmail.com

Asli Odman, Istanbul Health and Safety Labour Watch, email: asliodman@gmail.com

NGO Shipbreaking Platform, e-mail: info@shipbreakingplatform.org, Phone: +32 (0)260.94.419

NOTE

[1] NGO Shipbreaking Platform, Basel Action Network (BAN), BAN Asbestos France, Henri Pézerat Association (Work, Health, Environment), International Ban Asbestos Secretariat (IBAS), İstanbul İSİG (İşçi Sağlığı ve İş Güvenliği) Meclisi, Greenpeace Mediterranean, Brazilian ABREA (Associação Brasileira dos Expostos ao Amianto).