India withholds toxic ships entry into Alang shipyard

Note:Gujarat Maritime Board claims that Platinum II, the convicted toxic US ship is off Gopnath, which is the outer anchorage point off Gopnath point. This fugitive vessel from US is in Bhavnagar for six days. It is being rumoured through planted news in some newspapers that the ship is in danger, therefore, it needs rescue. Interestingly, these news reports do not refer to the violation of orders of US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) the which is easily availble on the websites. Sources have revealed that a Supreme Court appointed committee official has warned the Gujarat Maritime Board that "all hell will break loose if permission is granted to dubious ships. It will have consequences and the concerned authortities must be ready to face the music in t he upcoming session of the parliament.

Civil society groups are demanding an inquiry by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to ascertain the circumstances undue which this US ship entered Indian waters with impunity. All the conniving Gujarat Maritime Board (gmb) officials, Custom officials and Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) officials who are hand in glove with the US ship owners who have created a corporate veil to hide behind it must be made liable for their acts of omission and commission. The ship should should be taken away from the Bhavnagar anchorage point outside Port limits, or outside the territorial waters, or the Exclusive Eco-nomic Zone (EEZ). Upon entry into the Port area, a ship was allowed to be anchored by dropping one or more anchors to the seabed. A ship at anchor may lift its anchors, and sail away. Anchoring of ships is thus fully reversible. In the case of the US ship, therefore, there is a clear case for reversing the ship back to US.

The ship in question must be made to follow the path paved by Le Clemenceau, the French warship, which was stopped by our Supreme Court and recalled by the French court.

It must be noted that the new dummy entity called Platinum Investment Services Corporation based in Monorovia, Liberia (which has been created as a seller by Anil Sharma, the last owner Global Marketing Systemsr of the ship which was filed by the USEPA) to sell it to Komal Sharma, the owner of Leela Ship Recyclers Pvt. Ltd (the buyer of the ship is brother of Anil Sharma), Plot No.2, Alang Ship Recycling Yard, Dist. Bhavnagar is a corporate veil.

India withholds toxic ships entry into Alang shipyard

Gadhinagar, Oct 15 - ANI:India on Thursday denied permission to a US ship allegedly containing toxic wastes to anchor at the Alang Ship breaking Yard on the Gujarat coast.

New Delhi has sent a firm message to first world countries that India cant be used as a dumping yard for their wastes.

The US Ship Platinum- 2 is currently anchored at Gopnath Port near Alang.

The Union Environment and Forest Ministry has asked the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) to submit a report about the materials, onboard the ship.

The ministry has also asked the GPCB to verify whether the ship has complied with Supreme Court guidelines issued on October 7.

The contentious ship was given permission to anchor on October 8, after a desk review, wherein the Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB), Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) and Customs gave the clearance.

A section of the media, suspected that the ship could be the SS Independence, which was earlier banned by the US Environment Protection Agency (USEPA).

The ship was reportedly renamed SS Oceanic which lay idle at Dubai for over a year before being rechristened as the Platinum - 2.

Earlier, pro-environment groups in Gujarat had alleged that a retired US ship, containing toxic substances, had anchored at Bhavnagar Port for being dismantled at the Alang ship breaking yard.

Environmentalists have alleged, that Platinum -2 contains radioactive wastes.

The US had earlier penalized two companies for attempting to move the ship out of US waters without decontaminating it.

The apex court has passed a ruling that ships should be allowed to be broken down in the country only after prior decontamination. - ANI