French warship laden with asbestos to be dismantled in UK A French ship riddled with asbestos will be dismantled at a British dock despite a battle to keep it out of the country.
A judge has dismissed campaigners' calls for a full judicial review.
Jean Kennedy headed a campaign of Hartlepool residents who have fought to keep the aircraft carrier Clemenceau away from a dockyard because they say it poses a health and safety risk.
Mrs Kennedy has survived cancer and other members of her family have died from the disease. She attributes it to the industries that have made their home in Hartlepool over the years.
The Clemenceau, which sailed between 1961 and 1997, has been dogged by controversy over her disposal. In December 2004 Greenpeace protested over the scrapping the ship laden with toxins such as asbestos in India. Two years later Egyptian authorities denied the 37,000 ton vessel access to the Suez Canal.
Mrs Kennedy launched a judicial review after UK courts said the warship could be scrapped in the yards of Able UK Ltd in Hartlepool, arguing that the Health and Safety Executive had not thoroughly examined other alternatives.
Barrister David Wolfe, for Mrs Kennedy, said alternative ports in other countries should have been considered.
After listening to two hours of legal argument, Mr Justice Wilkie said that, although he had "much sympathy" for Mrs Kennedy's position, he would not be granting her permission to seek a full judicial review.
He said the HSE were right in limiting the question of "reasonably practicable alternative" to whether or not Able had no choice but to break up the ship and dispose of its asbestos.
Able's barrister, Gerard Clarke, insisted that the Clemenceau would not pose a danger as strict rules and regulations would be followed once it docked in Hartlepool.
Mr Clarke also argued that Able has already been the subject of much "public scrutiny", and passed, after similar objections were raised a few years ago to plans to bring American warships with asbestos on board into the company's Graythorp yard.
Source
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/3105037/French-warship-laden-with-asbestos-to-be-dismantled-in-UK.html
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