The breaking up of ships is a controversial issue among environmentalists, especially when it is the breaking up of western ships in foreign countries
by Michael Smith
The Royal Navy, as the first, it would appear, looks set to sidestep the controversy that often accompanies the decommissioning of warships (or other ships) - by recycling at home.
All one can say is “not before time”.
We cannot and must not export this task and that for more than one reason, the main ones, however, being that (1) we cannot lecture other countries as to the recycling of this and that and the safety thereof if we are not prepared to do it at home properly and send our stuff abroad and (2) because it also safeguards jobs at home; important in the current climate especially.
I am well aware that in this country we have a load of NIMBYs that will come out against any such breaking up of military and civilian navy vessels in their areas – because of the possibility of toxic material, including asbestos, and others – but then also cry foul when those ships are sent abroad to be broken up and recycled. We cannot have it both ways. Hence we must do it at home. Same as with waster incineration heat and electricity generation but that is another subject and I am digressing.
The Ministry of Defence has now, finally, received the green light from planners to have former assault ship HS Intrepid broken up and recycled in Liverpool by the British company Leavesley International.
The company was selected as preferred bidder last year following an open competition for the job, which includes strict environmental standards.
Leavesley has now received the required planning permission and has the environmental licences in place to enable it to proceed with the work at its facility on Merseyside.
Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, Baroness Taylor, said: "This contract reinforces the Ministry of Defence's determination to ensure former Royal Navy vessels are disposed off responsibly, and in full compliance with international environmental legislation."
MOD Defence Equipment and Support Disposal Sales Authority assistant director of operations, Richard Norris, said: "This is an exciting initiative, which demonstrates the UK's commitment to safe and proper disposal.
"It will be the first time an MoD vessel has been recycled in the UK for many years and provides an excellent example of the public and private sectors working together to achieve environmentally and commercially sound recycling."
The 12,000 tonne vessel, which has been moored in Portsmouth harbour since she left service in 1999, has since been replaced in service by the much larger and better equipped assault ship HMS Albion.
Globally the recycling and breaking up of ships is a very controversial business.
Heavily regulated companies in the industrialised West compete with breaking yards in Asia where owners are keen to get hold of cheap steel from the hulls but environmental and safety standards are often lax.
In 2005-2006 the aircraft carrier the Clemenceau, which once was the pride of the French Navy, became an embarrassment to the country and its government of the day as the ship was turned away from several ports due to the toxic materials that were on board. It had finally to return to France for recycling.
As I said above, if we are not prepared, because of residents in our home countries, to do the breaking up of such vessels ourselves then we cannot also ship them abroad and impose the toxic materials on others, especially where the same safeguards and procedures are not in place that would guarantee that none of the material would leak in any way, shape or form, in our own countries of the West.
We, who love to lecture the rest of the world as to environmental standards and all that, cannot simply send our rubbish abroad, and by the gods we do enough of that already, and have it then broken up in unsafe conditions in other countries simply because of financial expediency.
© M Smith (Veshengro), September 2008
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Royal Navy assault ship to be recycled on Merseyside
