COURT BANS “GHOST SHIP” FROM DOCKING IN THE PORT OF SUAPE

On the evening of November 9, the Federal Court in Pernambuco issued an emergency injunction ordering the Navy to immediately suspend the forced berthing of the tugboat transporting scrap from the São Paulo aircraft carrier. The convoy has been on the coast of Pernambuco since early October and has earned the moniker “ghost ship.” The Judiciary recognized the environmental and operational risks of docking scrap from an old aircraft carrier. Sold for dismantling to a Turkish company, the hull of the former aircraft carrier, carried by the tugboat Alp Centre, departed Rio de Janeiro in August but was prevented from passing through the Strait of Gibraltar after the Turkish Ministry of Environment suspended the authorization it had previously received. It has since roamed the Atlantic Ocean. However, no port will accept it because it contains at least ten tonnes of asbestos and is suspected of carrying toxic and radioactive waste.

Sources: Jornal do Comércio/Datamar News