Press Releases - ABLE

COMPANY CALLS ON AGENCY TO ACT FOLLOWING COURT RULING
08/12/03

The Managing Director of Able UK described the outcome of a High Court hearing today (December 8th) as ‘a clear judgement of the failings of the Environment Agency who have created a situation which helps nobody—our company, local people wanting jobs and everyone interested in finding the best possible answer to the challenge of recycling redundant shipping.’

Mr Peter Stephenson was speaking after the court had heard the Environment Agency accept the case put forward by Friends of the Earth that that there were flaws in the way in which it handled its modification to Able UK’s waste management licence, relating to the contract for the recycling of redundant American vessels at its Graythorp facility.

Mr Justice Sullivan said that, while he eventually intended to quash the modification, he would delay doing so in order to provide an opportunity for submissions as to how the situation could be regularised—and Mr Stephenson said that, following the judge’s comments, he hoped the Environment Agency would now come forward with proposals

Explained Mr Stephenson “It is important to underline that today’s hearing related directly to the actions of the Environment Agency in dealing with our application for the modification of our waste management licence.

“We applied in all good faith for the modification of the licence and received the agreement of the Agency before the vessels left the United States. It was only when the ships were well on their way to the UK that the Agency informed us that they believed that there were problems with the way in which they had handled the application.

“The court hearing today has agreed that there were flaws in the way in which the Agency considered and issued the modification to our waste licence. The result is that we now find ourselves having to examine how we should proceed, recruitment of local people to work on the vessels is on hold, and yet our company has the experience, the track record and the facilities to carry out the recycling of these and other vessels in the best possible environmentally friendly and safe conditions.

“I do not believe that this is in anybody’s interests—least of all those organisations and individuals who say their top priority is the protection of the environment. What we need now is for the Environment Agency to come forward with proposals which can achieve a sensible—and viable—way forward.”

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