Ban extended

The UK?s Environment Agency re-iterated the conditions imposed earlier this week on the storage of US naval vessels by Able UK on Teesside.

Modifications made by the Agency to the conditions of the waste management licence held by Able UK apply to all waste ships, from whatever source. The conditions cover the US vessels Canopus and Compass Island, which it has now been decided would also be stored on Teesside alongside the vessels Caloosahatchee and Canisteo which docked earlier in the week.

The licence modifications mean that no dismantling, cutting or breaking of ships in any way or form is permitted.

As did the two vessels Caloosahatchee and Canisteo, the second pair of US vessels will dock at Able UK at Hartlepool under supervision of the harbour authority PD Teesport. Assessments will be made by the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) to ascertain the integrity of the vessels’ structures and safety systems following their passage from the US to ensure, in conjunction with Environment Agency assessments, that the vessels pose no risk to the environment.

As a precaution, the Environment Agency has required floating containment booms to be put in place, and is conducting a regular regime of daily and weekly inspections to ensure their integrity.