Sri Lanka Unaware Of Ship Carrying Toxic Wastes From US, Say Officials: Report

Sri Lanka is currently unaware of the nature of hazardous materials on the cargo vessel that collided with a key Baltimore bridge last week, as officials here have stated that the contents of containers were supposed to be declared only 72 hours before the time of arrival into the Colombo Port.

The collision involved the Singapore-flagged container ship vessel Dali, which was primarily manned by an Indian crew. It occurred with the 2.6-km-long four-lane Francis Scott Key Bridge over the Patapsco River in Baltimore in the early hours of March 26. The 984-foot cargo ship was bound for Colombo, Sri Lanka, as reported by PTI.

Ship Carrying US Toxic Waste Surfaces Unnoticed: Officials

According to US media report, 764 tonnes of hazardous materials were being carried by the ship. According to available information, there are 57 containers containing toxic materials categorized under the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code.

The waste primarily consisted of corrosives, flammables, miscellaneous hazardous materials, and Class-9 hazardous materials, including explosives & lithium-ion batteries, in 56 containers. The US National Transportation Safety Board is still analyzing the ship's manifest to determine the contents of the remaining 4,644 containers, as quoted by Daily Mirror.

"Dali had called at New York and Norfolk, Virginia, which houses the world's largest naval base, prior to Baltimore," stated the official. "Colombo was its next scheduled stop, after circumnavigating South Africa's Cape of Good Hope in a 27-day journey, expected to land just after our New Year," official added, as per media report.

Keith Bernard, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), noted that the ship is required to declare container contents 72 hours before arrival at the Colombo Port.

"The ship is due to arrive here on April 21, 2024. This means they are expected to inform us by April 17 or earlier. We have ample time. If hazardous items are declared, we will isolate the containers accordingly, adhering to protocols. As a major transshipment hub, we have established procedures to handle such containers. Most likely, these containers are intended for transshipment," he explained.

When asked about procedures for containers intended for entry into the country, Bernard stated that clearance from the Defence Ministry and others would be sought.

However, Ajith Wijesundara, Deputy Director of the Central Environment Authority (CEA), emphasized that it is unclear whether the ship was carrying containers with hazardous wastes or toxic substances. According to the Basel Convention, he stated that such wastes would not be permitted into the country. He further added that toxic substances are imported as raw materials and are subject to guidelines, as reported by PTI.

The collapse of the bridge has effectively halted operations at Baltimore's port, impacting approximately 8,000 jobs and about USD 2 million in daily wages for workers, as reported by US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg last week.