US Maritime Administration adopts ship-recycling policy
The US Maritime Administration has adopted a new ship-recycling
policy, under which it has decided not to sink ships built before
1985, a period when ships were built using toxic substances.
However, other departments – the US Navy or Coast Guard – will
not adopt the policy, unless the administration owns one of their
former vessels.
policy, under which it has decided not to sink ships built before
1985, a period when ships were built using toxic substances.
However, other departments – the US Navy or Coast Guard – will
not adopt the policy, unless the administration owns one of their
former vessels.
Hailing the move, the Basel Action Network (BNA) said that it will
effectively allow the administration to recycle old ships, ending
the old practice of sinking ships. According to BNA, since 1972
approximately 45 ships have been disposed of at sea, which often carried
PCBs and other potentially toxic substances.