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Derek_Bullock
04-02-2006, 11:36 AM
Doesnt this one take the cake. What would happen if an American warship ran agound on the GBRMP and released a huge amount of oil.


Derek



US carrier exempt from dumping law

01.02.2006

By TOBY WALKER

The US aircraft carrier which dumped rubbish into the water near Moreton Island while still in port during its recent visit to Brisbane cannot be prosecuted by Australian authorities because it is allowed to operate outside internationally-recognised pollution laws.
Under federal maritime laws, a similar case of illegal dumping involving a commercial vessel would attract maximum fines of $1.1 million for the ship’s owner and $220,000 for the master of the ship.

With news of the garbage dumping having already reached Washington, the US Navy remained deeply apologetic yesterday and declared an internal investigation had begun on board the USS Ronald Reagan to find those responsible.

But while the US Navy pledged to make details of its investigation available to Australian authorities once it had been completed, it appears Australian authorities are powerless to stop a similar incident in the future.

Under the Marpol 73/78 Convention – which the USS Ronald Reagan’s spokesman Lt-Commander Gary Ross said served as the international guidelines under which the warship operated – no plastics could be dumped at sea and any other waste permitted to be dumped had to be disposed of when the vessel was at least 22km from the nearest land.

Plastics were among the rubbish hauled from waters off Moreton Island by Sunshine Coast trawler fisherman Aaron Pringle last Thursday while the aircraft carrier was still in port.

But although the aircraft carrier contravened the Marpol guidelines, the US Navy will escape any penalty.

Yesterday a spokeswoman for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority confirmed they would not be pursuing the US Navy over the incident and insisted any decision to reprimand the US Navy with fines or legal action came under the responsibility of the London-based International Maritime Organisation, a UN-affiliated group which oversees international shipping laws.

Sunshine Coast Environment Council spokesman Scott Alderson labelled the rubbish dumping exemption as “ridiculous” and wondered why the ship needed to rid itself of rubbish while so close to Brisbane.

“I could understand it if you’re in a battle situation or at war, then of course you may have to dump at sea...but I think probably the scariest thing that has come out of this is that the dumping of rubbish at sea is a regular practice by the US Navy,” he said.

“I didn’t know it was a practice of the US Navy and it surprises me actually.

Communicating via email from the USS Ronald Reagan, Lt-Commander Gary Ross said he was not aware of any contact that had been made to the ship by environmental regulators.

He said the investigation into how the rubbish bags came off the ship was underway but stated it was US Navy policy not to discuss the details of an investigation until it’s completed.

Speaking from Canberra, US naval attaché Bill Cameron offered a further apology.

“... there’s no doubt in our minds that we’ve made a mistake,” he said.

“I don’t think it was intentional and there was no malice involved but we want the people of Brisbane to know that we are truly sorry for this incident occurring and that we will get to the bottom of this.”

longtail
14-02-2006, 07:44 PM
there is a easy way to stop this from happening again - don't allow them back into our ports ;)

my opinion

BTW - i'd be more concerned about reactor dramas whilst tied up to our wharfs :o

jason

Gazza
15-02-2006, 11:09 AM
JMO......i-f rubbish "has to" :-? be dumped

I would rather "choose" bris rubbish in bris waters ,than e.g. asian rubbish transported wherever and dumped internationally, particularly IF in bris waters.

just thinking along spreading foreign "things" in foreign waters....

would be good if they had to do a squadron F-18 afterburn dump across the Bris skies....as a penalty 8-)