European Waters Threatened by Toxic Shipwrecks

by Tito Drago

A British nuclear submarine developed a leak in its reactor's cooling system off the coast of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea, and was moved to the British colony of Gibraltar, located on the straits separating Spain from the African continent. It has been awaiting repairs there since May 19.

The six Spanish municipalities in the area surrounding Gibraltar, as well as several environmental groups, have asked British authorities to transfer the submarine for repairs elsewhere, demanding the immediate removal of the vessel to prevent further risks to the area.

Then, on Oct. 31, the Italian chemical tanker Ievoli Sun, which had reported a hole in its hull, was being assisted by a French tugboat when it began to sink in the English Channel.

Reports from the channel, which connects the North Sea to the Atlantic Ocean, indicated that there were 800-meter slicks on the sea surface near the site where the ship went down.

The leaking tanker originally held 4,000 tons of styrene, a non-water-soluble toxin, as well as 1,000 tons of propanol and 1,000 tons of methyl-ethyl-acetone. The two latter substances are less toxic that styrene but are water soluble, and thus greater threats as pollutants.

Lately "such 'garbage-ships' have been passing through (the channel) every quarter hour and our governing politicians do nothing," commented Philippe de Viliers, a French opposition lawmaker and president of the nearby La Vendee municipality's General Council.

French Pres. Jacques Chirac expressed his concern about the sunken tanker, affirming that the European Union (EU) must accelerate the adoption of safety measures for sea transport, and called on the European Parliament to urgently take up the matter.

Romano Prodi, the current president of the European Commission, the EU's executive body, blamed the bloc's members for their delays in putting forth maritime safety-related proposals.

Prodi stressed that he is not willing to reduce safety requirements, even though some EU nations argue they do not have the human or economic resources available to ensure compliance with the strictest regulations.

Greenpeace, the international environmental watchdog, and the Greens have pointed out that the sinking of the Ievoli Sun occurred on the edge of the Casquets sea trench, which they described as a garbage dump.

The trench has become home to "radioactive and chemical waste, and even munitions from the Second World War," said Didier Anugers, leader of the Greens in the French region near the site.

But environmentalists' opinions on the issue of the British submarine in Gibraltar are divided.

Activists from the area adjacent to the British colony demand the removal of the submarine to a safer port, but Xavier Pastor, executive director of Greenpeace-Spain, is not sure that would be a good idea.

Pastor maintained that "moving it would only be a good solution if independent experts determine that it would pose fewer risks for the population and the environment than conducting the repairs in Gibraltar."

The mayors and city councilors -- of all political parties -- in the six Spanish municipalities joined forces to demand that the submarine leave Gibraltar, and posted a banner bearing this slogan outside the Palacio de la Moncloa, the seat of the national government in Madrid.

But there is also a lack of political consensus about the issue outside the area affected, and even Spain's national government is divided.

The first reaction of Spanish foreign minister Josep Pique was to demand an explanation from London, but he later stated that he understood the position of the British government, with whom Spain shares a defensive alliance as part of NATO.

Heads of government Tony Blair, of Great Britain, and Jose Mar’a Aznar, of Spain, both played down the issue, affirming that the situation would be appropriately resolved.

The opposition Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE), however, demands that the government clears up its contradictions before Parliament.

The socialist president of Andalusia, the region that holds the Gibraltar enclave, emphasized that the greatest cause for worry is the perplexity demonstrated by the British and Spanish governments about the problem.

The mayor of Algeciras, the city adjacent to Gibraltar, presented a claim before the British courts there against Great Britain's Ministry of Defence and demanded the withdrawal of the submarine from Algeciras harbor.