A fleet of contaminated former US naval vessels being towed to Britain should return to America after a licence for scrapping the vessels was revoked, the Minister for the Marine, Mr Ahern, said last night.
Two are due to pass the south Irish coast next Monday or Tuesday. Mr Ahern said he had objected to his British counterpart when the plan to take obsolete US ships to Britain for disposal was first raised.
The rusting vessels contain hundreds of tonnes of chemicals, including Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), asbestos and heavy diesel. TDs have raised concerns about the threat posed to Irish bathing water and fishing grounds by the fleet.
The vessels are from a fleet of 142 obsolete ships the US Maritime Administration (MARAD) urgently wants to scrap because they pose a serious environmental threat. MARAD recently signed a $14.8 million contract with Able UK to dispose of 13.
However, this project was thrown into confusion yesterday when the British Environment Agency said a licence issued to Able UK was invalid.
"This issue is an opportunity for Ireland to make use of its European presidency role coming up in the New Year. We will be expected to take a lead," said the Green Party leader, Mr Trevor Sergent.
