Press Releases - ABLE

COMPANY REFUTES ‘LEGAL ACTION’ CLAIM
03/10/03

The Managing Director of Able UK has today (October 3rd) once again made clear that the company has planning permission in place to enable it to undertake the contract to recycle redundant American merchant vessels at its TERRC (Teesside Environmental and Recycling Centre) facility at Graythorp.

He also described as ‘totally without foundation and disgracefully misleading’ claims in a News Release from Hartlepool Labour Party that the company was considering taking legal action against the Council and the Environment Agency.

Said Mr Stephenson “In view of comments which have apparently been made today at a meeting in Hartlepool—a meeting to which we were not invited to send a representative to speak or answer questions—I think it is important to reiterate the point that we have made on numerous occasions. We have clear legal advice and all planning permissions—including that relating to the construction of a ‘bund’ which will allow sealing and draining of the TERRC basin—are in place.

“I am frankly appalled that a News Release has apparently been issued under the name of the Leader of the Labour Group on the Council making claims which are totally without foundation and disgracefully misleading. There is no truth whatsoever in the claim made in the release that our company is seeking Judicial Review against either the Council of the Environment Agency. In addition it should be pointed out that the same councillor gave the contract his full support in the Hartlepool Mail on the 20th August 2003.

“As a result of the yesterday’s court decision in the United States, we are preparing the first four vessels from the James River in Virginia. Many different agencies both here and in the United States have been involved in this operation. One of those is the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency which has been provided with all the necessary information from ourselves and the American authorities to enable it to finalise the ‘passage plan’ for the vessels.

“We have also been working closely with Hartlepool Council and I hope that, in common with other local agencies such as the Tees Valley Development Company, they will welcome the very real benefits which this contract will bring to our area.

“Initially it will produce 200 jobs, in the longer term it will greatly strengthen our reputation as a world-class centre for marine decommissioning and recycling in the most environmentally friendly and safe conditions possible. In addition the Marad contract will allow the commencement of phase 2 of the TERRC development and revitalise the dry dock with all of the potential new construction works.

“That can only be good news for the Council and for the local community.”

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