A while back I blogged a story about the working conditions in the
ship-breaking industry
of Bangladesh that had appeared in Foreign Policy Magazine Jan/Feb 2006.
Sorry Sahib… We’re not breaking this one: India turns away toxic
aircraft carrier
Saturday April 08th 2006, 10:57 pm
http://leighm.net/blog/?s=ship-breaking&submit=GO
Here's the early planning for the leftcoast (the NIMBY coast), California.
...more work for... "guest" laborers, more fast revenue for the state.
Nevermind the long (mid?) term cost to the state of having a toxic industry
like that on the west coast (or any coast anywhere for that matter...).
San Jose Mercury-News
Posted on Mon, May. 15, 2006
West Coast lacks scrap yards
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/nation/14582485.htm
By Thomas Peele
Knight Ridder
There is nothing easy or cheap about getting rid of an old ship. But it
can bring millions in profits for the companies that take them.
When the price of recycled steel was low, the U.S. Maritime
Administration tried to sell obsolete vessels but could find no buyers.
Now that foreign demand for steel is high, raising prices to $250 to
$500 a ton, the administration is paying companies millions to dismantle
and recycle ships.
The vessels range in size from the small World War II Victory ships at
7,607 gross tons to at least five ships of more than 37,000 gross tons.
A ship recycling expert estimated that scrapping a ship of that size
would yield a profit of roughly $3.7 million.
The manager of the government's ship disposal program defended paying to
have the ships recycled rather than selling them. It is imperative to
move them when the market demand is high, said Curt J. Michanczyk.
That is when the agency can find companies willing to take on the
dangerous scrapping jobs, he said.
There are no active scrapping yards on the West Coast, and the United
States bans sending ships containing hazardous materials to other
countries for disposal. That leaves scrapping yards on the Texas coast
as the only option for vessels in Suisun Bay.
Former Maritime Administration head John Jamian said he would like to
see foreign options explored despite congressional, EPA and
environmentalist opposition.
``I am not saying we should do it, but it is something we should
explore,'' Jamian said. ``There are domestic capacity issues. Forced
competition keeps the market moving.''
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