Incinerator Vessel Vulcanus II burning Toxic Waste

Incinerator vessel Vulcanus II burning toxic waste at sea.

Unique identifier: GP0XX4

Type: Image

Shoot date: 01/01/1983

Locations: Europe

Credit line: © Stephen McAllister / Greenpeace

Ranking: ★★★★★★ (B)

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Ocean Incinerator Ship Vulcanus

Two incinerator vessels, the Vulcanus I and II in port, incinerating toxic waste at sea.

Under the authority of the Dutch company Ocean Combustion Service (OCS), the ocean incinerator ship Vulcanus II leaves every three weeks the Antwerp harbour loaded with 3000 tonnes of chemical waste. This waste comes from the chemical industry and contains of toxic and often carcinogenic chemical compounds, like pvc's. Eighty miles offshore of Den Helder the waste is incinerated in incinerators with a temperture of at least 1100 degrees Celsius. According to OCS 99.9% of the chemical waste is burned, this is however never proven and if so 0,01% of 3000 tonnes is still 300 kilos of toxics that ends up in the environment. Because of an increase of transports by land and sea and the storage in a densely populated area like the Antwerp harbour, the liability for severe accidents becomes bigger. A disaster with such toxics will be disastrous and cause unrestorable damage for humankind and the environment. That's why Greenpeace wants a ban on the incineration of chemical waste at sea.

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