'Ghost ships' expected in Channel tomorrow
Two former US Navy ships contaminated with chemicals, travelling to Britain from the United States, are expected to reach the Channel tomorrow, the Coastguard said today.
The Canopus and Caloosahatchee are still in the Atlantic under a controlled tow and are steadily making their way to British waters.
Plans to dismantle the ships have been shelved after the proposal was deemed to flout international rules.
It is estimated the ships will arrive at Hartlepool, UK next week.
A spokesman for Falmouth Coastguard said the ships would possibly arrive in the Channel tomorrow.
He said: “They are still in the Atlantic but approaching the south west. They are on target and should be in the Channel tomorrow.”
Able UK, the company with the contract to recycle the vessels, said the ships were still on target to arrive at Hartlepool next week.
A spokesman added: “There have been variable weather conditions but there is no reason to believe they won’t make their estimated time of arrival.”
A decision on two other ships currently bound for the UK, which make up the controversial “ghostfleet“, has yet to be made.
Britain's Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett said the ships would be temporarily stored at Hartlepool before going back across the Atlantic because it was the safest option.
The move to allow the ships to dock in Hartlepool was made after discussions between Mrs Beckett and US Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta.
After consultation with Britain's Environment Agency, no other sites were considered appropriate to take the ships at such short notice.
Mrs Beckett said the US authorities had been told that the dismantling of the ships could not be carried out due to “international rules and community law“.
