U.S., U.K. near agreement on scrapping American-flag ships

U.S., U.K. near agreement on scrapping American-flag ships    The U.S. and U.K. governments are closer to working out their differences over the scrapping of four American-flag cargo ships in a British shipyard.
   The ships are stored in a dockyard near Hartlepool, U.K., owned by Able UK Ltd., pending the outcome of decisions on applications for permissions to dismantle them.
   “Our first concern is for the environment and human health, and to ensure that ships are recovered in properly regulated facilities, but it is also clear that public debate is needed to establish how the U.K. handles the dismantling of ships both here and overseas,” said Barbara Young, chief executive for the U.K. government’s Environmental Agency, in a statement.
   In a report, the U.K. agency emphasized that up to 95 percent of the materials in the four ships can be recovered and recycled. Hazardous materials from the ships can be safely disposed of in licensed facilities, the agency said.
   The U.K. agency also concluded that dismantling the four U.S.-flag ships in Able UK’s Graythorp yard could “represent the best environmental option.”
   The U.K. agency said it has no plans to take enforcement action against Able UK, which is required to dismantle the ships within 180 days of their arrival.
   “Able is attempting to rectify the situation,” said Craig McGarvey, the U.K. Environmental Agency’s area manager. “If circumstances change we will review our enforcement position.”
   The U.S. Maritime Administration, which approved the transfer of the four vessels to Able UK, praised the U.K. Environmental Agency’s report. “This report is a step in the right direction and it’s encouraging to see that we are moving forward in this important process,” MarAd said.
   MarAd is pursuing an ambitious program to reduce the number of “ghost ships” in its ready reserve cargo ship fleet.