Toxic ship refused harbour

MS Otopan, a toxic ship currently roaming the Mediterranean in search of a port, has been refused harbour by the Maltese government.

The Malta Environment and Planning Authority has advised the Dutch government - which had made a request on the ship's behalf - that Malta will not provide harbour to the Otopan, a Mepa spokesman said.

A few weeks ago the ship got embroiled in a diplomatic wrangle in Turkey, where it was denied access.

She had been expected to dock in Izmir to be broken up and have the asbestos covering removed, shortly after it left Amsterdam. Before the ship got to Turkey, however, environmental NGOs raised the alarm about the "illegal levels" of asbestos in the ship's hull. They claimed she was laden with some 60 tons of asbestos and not one ton as was declared on the Otopan's papers.

Following a request by the Turkish authorities, the Dutch Environment Ministry confirmed that the ship was carrying 54 tons of asbestos, upon which the Turkish government said the ship would not be granted harbour.

"I will not sacrifice the environment for the sake of a scrap iron dealer," an angry Turkish Environment Minister Osman Pepe was reported saying, apparently in reference to his Dutch counterpart.

Since then, government sources have told The Times, officials from the Dutch Environment Ministry have made persistent requests to the Maltese authorities but these have been turned down.

It was not immediately clear whether the Dutch wanted to have the ship broken up here or use Malta as a temporary port. The ship is now anchored off the Lesbos islands in Greece.

The NGO Platform on Shipbreaking - the coalition of NGOs which coordinated the campaign on the Otopan - fears the Dutch government may attempt to convince other countries to take the vessel.

Derk Byvanck, the coalition's international coordinator, said warning letters have been sent to the authorities of all Mediterranean countries.

"The ship can be broken up in Holland but it's expensive, which is why the Turkish option was sought," he said.

The issue, in fact, has taken a political twist in The Netherlands, were the matter has been raised in Parliament.

Local activist Caroline Muscat has written to the Environment Ministry requesting confirmation that Malta will not be accepting the ship in its port, pointing out that besides asbestos the ship carries other hazardous waste including toxic chemicals such as PCBs and TBT.

PCBs can affect humans through inhalation (respiration), digestion, or through the skin (dermal absorption). TBT compounds leave negative effects on humans and the environment.