Reefing Madness - The Navy’s Toxic Ship Dumping Program
A Report by Greenpeace and Basel Action Network
Download the full report here [PDF, 4.2 MB]
“The US EPA considers PCBs as probable cancer-causing agents. Most scientists believe that there is no safe level of exposure to PCBs.
…Dumping or reefing ships may be the cheapest way out for the government…”
“In the past, the military and the Maritime Administration (MARAD) were able to send their old obsolete ships to India to be scrapped in the breaking yards of Alang, Gujarat and actually make significant revenue through the sales. That was before environmentalists, and Pulitzer Prize winning journalists discovered the horrors involved in that type of scrapping operations. Thousands of India’s most desperate laborers toil without protections, stripping asbestos, applying cutting torches to toxic paints, often succumbing to fires, explosions and other ghoulish accidents, turning the yards to veritable killing zones. Meanwhile, the beaches of Alang have become a toxic waste dump; toxins such as PCBs and asbestos within the vessels are freely released into the environment during dismantling. Since that time, all US exports to developing countries have ceased despite the government’s interest in exports to China.
Years later, the “ghost fleet” remains a floating time bomb in various locations around the United States, with most carrying not only toxic substances but large quantities of old fuel waiting to spill into sensitive waterways from decay or hurricanes. The public is fiercely agitating for safely removing the old vessels at once before it is too late.
So, with limited budgets, increasing political pressure to dispose of the vessels quickly, and with dumping on developing countries seen as indefensible, the Navy and MARAD are looking for the next cheapest disposal pathway – artificial reefing.
While dumping or reefing ships may be the cheapest way out for the government now that the world has awakened to the horrors of the Asian shipbreaking yards, it is hardly the most environmentally sound option. Indeed, as we shall see, due to the toxics on board these vessels, such dumping not only is in violation of US law, but international law as well.
All ships currently in use and used in recent years generally contain some type of hazardous material in their structure and operational equipment. This is particularly true for vessels built before the mid-1970s when concerns over asbestos and PCBs became well known. Also, warships are often more laden with hazardous materials, as both PCBs and asbestos were used as flame retardants.
The following are some of the hazardous substances of concern that can be found in vessels, their general use in vessels, and toxicity:
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) – are man-made chemical compounds that are either in liquid or solid matrixes in vessels. They are part of a dangerous class of chemicals known as “persistent organic pollutants” or POPs. Of special concern is the propensity of POPs and PCBs to bio-accumulate in fatty tissues and thereby bio- magnify in the food chain, so that predators at the top of the food chain such as marine mammals or humans can receive massive dosing of the chemical.
Usage: “Liquid PCBs” are commonly found in capacitors, and electronic equipment with capacitors and transformers inside. “Solid PCBs” are commonly found in electrical cable insulation; rubber and felt gaskets; thermal insulation material including fiberglass, felt, foam, and cork; electronic equipment, switchboards, and consoles; oil used in electrical equipment and motors. At first, some wishing to avoid TSCA tried to argue that solid matrix PCBs are not as likely to cause harm in the environment. However, this viewpoint is not correct; rather it is a case of rapid contamination with liquid PCBs, as opposed to slower contamination with PCBs in solid matrixes.
Toxicity to Humans: Exposure pathway - eating PCB-contaminated fish. Children and pregnant women are sensitive populations impacted by PCBs. Some of the documented effects of PCBs in humans are adverse developmental effects, hormone disruption, reproductive defects, and lowered immune system function.
The US EPA considers PCBs as probable cancer-causing agents. Most scientists believe that there is no safe level of exposure to PCBs. This poison is now slated for global elimination (see Stockholm Convention section below).
Toxicity to Wildlife: Some of the well documented effects of PCBs on marine species are: impaired reproductive function, decreased testosterone, impaired immune function, and mass mortality due to infections.
Asbestos – a naturally occurring fibrous mineral. In the last 25 years asbestos has been revealed to be a serious killer as it attacks and damages lung tissue. It is a very significant contaminant in vessels due to its quantity.
Usage: Thermal insulation in various applications; bulkhead shield/fireproofing; floor tiles and deck underlay; gaskets; adhesives and adhesive-like glues (e.g., mastics) and fillers; sound damping handles, clutch facings).
Toxicity to Humans and Wildlife: Chronic human exposure to asbestos may increase the risk of lung cancer, mesothelioma, and nonmalignant lung and pleural disorders. Although there is no strong evidence as yet that asbestos causes harm in the marine environment, there have also been very few studies to confirm this belief. Concerns do exist that if asbestos in reefed vessels becomes loose and washes up on shore, and then dries, and becomes airborne, it can become a hazard to people and other susceptible fauna.16
Mercury – a naturally occurring substance; occurs in three basic forms: elemental, inorganic and organic compounds. In the environment, elemental mercury can be transformed into the most deadly form – methyl mercury.
Usage: Ship system components e.g., some gyroscopes, compasses, vacuum measurement gauges; some light switches, older radar displays, lab and medical equipment.
Toxicity to Humans: Depending on the type of mercury, exposure can lead to the impairment of the brain, kidneys and liver, and causes developmental problems, reproductive disorders, disturbances in sensations, impairment of speech and vision, hearing and walking, mental disturbances, and death.
Toxicity to Wildlife: Extremely toxic methyl mercury concentrates in fish tissue, biomagnifying and becoming increasingly potent in predatory fish and fish- eating mammals, and sometimes reaching toxic levels over a million times greater than the levels in the surrounding waters.
Other pollutants of concern found on vessels are fuel oils and gas residues, heavy metals, e.g. cadmium, barium, chromium, and zinc that are usually found in paints, radioactive materials, and invasive species (e.g. mollusks, jellyfish, toxic dinoflagillates).”