Container ship carrying hundreds of tonnes of suspected hazardous waste disappears on its way from Albania to Thailand

Environmental Justice groups call for its arrest and return to Europe

Seattle, USA, Bangkok, Thailand, Cape Town, South Africa.  A large Maersk container ship, carrying an estimated 327 tonnes of what is believed to be hazardous waste containers scheduled to dock in Cape Town, South Africa, has disappeared following a warning to the South African government by the international watchdog group, the Basel Action Network (BAN). The ship, the MAERSK CAMPTON, the first of two such ships now carrying 100 containers of waste that originated in Albania to Thailand, was scheduled to dock in South Africa, but following the alert to South Africa, the ship's Automatic Identification System (AIS) GPS beacon was switched off on 31July prior and it failed to make its scheduled August 1 Cape Town docking. South Africa reportedly searched diligently for the missing vessel in their waters many hours in vain and as of this release the ship remains at large. 

"We can imagine no other reason for this behavior other than an effort by MAERSK, to avoid arrest or delays due to the likelihood of their ship being involved in trafficking in hazardous waste," said Jim Puckett, BAN Executive Director. "We call on MAERSK to cooperate immediately in assisting the international community in preventing illegal dumping of hazardous wastes.”

According to the International Maritime Organization's SOLAS Convention, the AIS beacon should always be turned on when vessels are underway or anchored. Only in the case of imminent danger when the captain of the ship is certain that the continuous signal broadcast compromises the safety and security of their ship can it be switched off. Further, the transport of hazardous wastes without the approval of the exporting country (Albania) the transit countries (such as South Africa) and the scheduled importing country (Thailand) is illegal waste trafficking under the terms of the Basel Convention. Already it has been confirmed that Albania was never informed about the export by the exporter and Thailand has not received any notification. Transit countries like South Africa have also not been informed prior to shipment.

It is not known at this time where the MAERSK CAMPTON is, but while it is expected to be on its way towards its next scheduled stop off, there is a concern that the ship cloaking its whereabouts could now go anywhere in the region. The second ship, the MAERSK CANDOR carrying 60 more containers of the waste is currently on a similar path and is expecting to round Africa towards Thailand in a matter of hours. The Basel Action Network (BAN) who first learned of the shipment, together with the environmental justice organizations, groundWork, Friends of the Earth in South Africa and EARTH in Thailand are calling on the MAERSK CANDOR to be seized by South Africa and will be sounding the alarm throughout South and Southeast Asia calling on governments to intercept the two ships. The shipping line MAERSK meanwhile is called upon to immediately halt the shipments so they can be returned to the country of origin - Albania. 

"South Africa can certainly relate to the environmental injustice of the global waste trade," said Musa Chamane, Waste Campaigner for groundWork, (Friends of the Earth South Africa). "We demand that this renegade ship and the next one, be intercepted, the containers analyzed here to ensure no other Southern country or ocean be at risk of the dumping of this toxic waste. If they are found to contain toxic waste, they must be returned directly to the sender at their own cost and never be allowed to remain in Africa or dumped in Thailand."

The estimated 816 total metric tonnes on board the two ships in 100 short (20') containers are believed to be carrying toxic steel furnace dust collected from pollution control filters.

If confirmed to be hazardous waste, by the provisions of the Basel Convention, the United Nations Treaty governing the trade in hazardous and other wastes, the containers could be seized and repatriated back to Albania. 

Likewise, in Thailand, the national environmental group EARTH has notified their government of the massive shipment of pollution control dusts.  

"Under no circumstances will Thailand accept being the dumping ground for the rest of the world's toxic industrial waste, electronic wastes or plastic wastes," said Ms. Penchom Saetang, EARTH's Director. "We call on our government and the government of South Africa to take the necessary actions to stop this offensive trade dead in its tracks."

It is feared that unless action is taken, the toxic filter dusts will be spread on agricultural fields or otherwise dumped in Thailand. A similar shipment of these same types of waste was stopped when it arrived in China earlier this year. Chinese authorities found that shipment to contain more than 8% of toxic lead.

END

For more information:

Mr. Jim Puckett, Basel Action Network,

jpuckett@ban.org

Mr. Musa Chamane, groundWork, Friends of the Earth South Africa

musa@groundwork.org.za

Ms. Penchom Saetang, EARTH Thailand

penchom.earth@gmail.com

About Basel Action Network

Founded in 1997, the Basel Action Network (BAN) is a 501(c)3 charitable organization of the United States, based in Seattle, WA. BAN is the world's only organization focused on confronting the global environmental justice and economic inefficiency of toxic trade and its devastating impacts. Today, BAN serves as the information clearinghouse about waste trade for journalists, academics, and the general public. Through its investigations, BAN uncovered the tragedy of hazardous electronic waste dumping in developing countries. For more information, see www.ban.org.

About groundWork, Friends of the Earth, South Africa

Established in 1999, groundWork, Friends of the Earth South Africa, is a principles driven non-profit environmental justice organization working towards a just transition and open democracy in South Africa and beyond. Its vision is that people live well with each other and with the earth. To realize this vision, groundWork partners with affected communities to resist dirty energy and toxic production, building solidarity and local alliances that advocate for open debate and democratic control over resources such as energy, waste and health towards a viable future. Working with community organizations, peoples’ movements and other civil society actors to hold governments and corporations to account. groundWork challenges environmental racism and injustice. It seeks to ensure that the constitutional right to an environment that is not harmful to people’s health and well-being is realized, and that their livelihoods are secured.

About EARTH

Ecological Alert and Recovery - Thailand (EARTH) is an independent non-governmental organization striving for social and environmental sustainability and justice in Thai society. EARTH serves as a watchdog monitoring the Thai government’s industrialization policy, industrial pollution and unsustainable consumption patterns. We promote climate justice, good governance and accountability of governmental and international agencies. EARTH focuses on the impacts of hazardous substances on ecosystems, local communities and workers’ health.