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Albanian officials confirm for foreign media the investigation of 800 tons of hazardous waste to Thailand

2024-08-19 14:14:17Aktualitet SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Albanian officials confirm for foreign media the investigation of 800 tons of
The ship is suspected of carrying 800 tons of waste

The Ministry of the Environment "washes its hands" saying "we have not given permission" - but how were tons of hazardous waste loaded in Durrës.

Albanian officials say they are investigating how 800 tons of suspected hazardous industrial waste were transported from its port without authorization, bound for Southeast Asia, as the suspected cargo will be turned back.

Meanwhile, an AP Moller-Maersk A/S ship carrying some of the suspected cargo unloaded the containers in Singapore over the weekend, having initially sailed by the port before returning to dock.

About 40 containers that environmental groups claim contain toxic dust residue will be transferred on Monday to an MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company SA ship that will ship them to Europe, according to MSC's shipping tracking website.

Maersk said it is working with Singapore authorities and MSC to return the cargo to Albania. For now, the containers are set to arrive at Italy's Gioia Tauro port in late September, according to tracking data.

Another 60 containers of suspected waste currently on board another Maersk container ship – due in Singapore later this month – will also be returned to Europe, Maersk said.

Bloomberg News could not independently verify what the ships were carrying. The companies exporting and receiving the containers have not been identified. MSC did not respond to requests for comment, while Singapore authorities said they were unable to comment yet. Maersk said none of the containers had been declared to contain hazardous waste, otherwise it would have refused to transport them.

Environmentalists have been working to stem the flow of trash from developed countries to Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries — from polluted plastics to industrial and electronic waste that is often laced with toxins. Under the United Nations' Basel Convention, a global pact signed by many developed economies, countries must consent to waste going their way.

The journey of the suspected containers has raised the alarm in many countries since they were loaded in the Albanian port of Durrës in July, with the final destination Thailand planned for the end of this month. Thailand refused to accept the shipment after being notified of its dangerous contents by environmental groups.

As the ships approached Cape Town, South African officials tracked the ships and put in place a plan involving the navy, police, port authorities and the environment department to conduct a thorough inspection when the ships docked, a Forestry Department spokesman said. Fisheries and Environment. After communicating with Maersk, the company told South Africa that the ships were not scheduled to dock there and would continue on to Singapore.

The Ministry of Tourism and Environment had not given authorization for the export of the alleged hazardous waste, according to the spokesperson Erjon Uka. Albanian law-enforcement forces are conducting investigations with the European Union's Anti-Fraud Office for "the circumstances and all the logistical connections that have carried out this suspected transport from Europe to Southeast Asia," he said.

The waste is suspected to come from international companies operating near a metallurgical complex in Elbasan, near Durrës, he said.

Furnace dust, which requires treatment, is a hazardous waste product that usually comes from steel scrap recycling and contains toxic metal oxides such as cadmium and chromium that are harmful to health and the environment.

"International conventions and local legislation in accordance with them, foresee a series of obligations for producers and transporters of such waste", said Uka. "The implementation of these obligations is also the subject of ongoing investigations."

 


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