news unrolled

Post: Brazil sinks Foch aircraft carrier in Atlantic waters due to asbestos contamination

Categories

The Brazilian Navy said it had sunk the former aircraft carrier Foch in the Atlantic Ocean, which was contaminated with asbestos, paint and other toxic waste, in a decision criticized by environmental groups.

The Navy said in a statement that “an eviction operation scheduled for Friday afternoon was carried out under surveillance”, about 350 kilometers off the coast of Brazil, in an area “at approximately 5,000 meters deep”.

The Navy announced earlier this week that it had no choice, given the ship’s old and dilapidated condition. The length of this aircraft carrier is 266 meters.

The Brazilian Federal Public Ministry, which tried to stop the operation, warned of its consequences, noting that the aircraft carrier “currently contains 9.6 tons of asbestos, a toxic substance that can cause cancer, in addition to 644 tons of paint and more” . Hazardous materials.” “There is a risk of serious damage to the environment (…) mainly because the structure is damaged,” he added.

Other environmental NGOs that have issued similar warnings include Greenpeace, Sea Shepherd and the Puzzle Action Network. In a joint statement, the organizations condemned the “violations of three international treaties” on environmental protection and stressed that the process would cause “incalculable” damage, “with an impact on marine life and coastal communities”.

The French aircraft carrier Foch, purchased by the Brazilian government in 2000, has long floated at sea in hopes of finding a port of refuge.

The ship was built in the late 1950s at the Saint-Nazaire shipyard in western France and was in the French Navy for 37 years before being bought by Brazil in 2000, which renamed her São Paulo.

Shipyard Sok Deniglik bought the carrier in April 2021 to profit from its steel, but threatened to abandon it because it could not find a port to receive it.

In June 2022, it received authorization from the Brazilian authorities to take it to Turkey for dismantling. But when she pulled out of the Strait of Gibraltar in mid-August, Turkish environmental authorities declared the vessel unacceptable in Turkey.

Thus, Brazil decided to return it, but did not allow it to berth, despite the “worsening damage” to the hull.

Source: EuroNews

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *