The Grande America in the spotlight
Grande America, press release n°3
List and summary description of all the Grande America’s deficiencies as identified by the Port State inspectors since 2010 (pdf). In particular, recurring deficiencies concerning the fire-fighting plans or equipments and non-compliances with the MARPOL Convention for the prevention of pollution at sea should be noted.
The Grande America, practically garbage herself, was carrying waste and was known to empty her garbage cans into the sea.
France and Elephants
The French president is in Nairobi for the One Planet Summit. Robin des Bois’ director asked him to support the proposal of Kenya and the African Elephant Coalition countries in favour of CITES Appendix I banning all international trade in ivory. The next CITES plenary session will take place in Sri Lanka from 23 May to 3 June 2019.
The sinking of Grande America
Grande America, press release n°2
Following the sinking of the Grande America, Robin des Bois hopes that the Atlantic Maritime Prefecture will be provided by the ship-owner Grimaldi with the complete list of cargoes and hazardous material loaded on board the ship. In order to assess the level of danger that is to arise as waste gradually escapes from the wreck, it is important to have accurate information. It is likely that, within a few days, oil and floating waste will disperse at sea and arrive on the French coastline, particularly in southern Brittany, the Pays de la Loire, and Aquitaine. Therefore, it would be reasonable to pre-position pollution response means (Polmar).
South of Brittany: Grande America ablaze
The container ship and car carrier had left Hamburg and was heading for Casablanca, then Dakar (Senegal), Conakry (Guinea), and Freetown (Sierra Leone). Afterwards, the ship was to carry on towards Brazil. The Grande America is 214 meters long and she flies the Italian flag. Logically, the ship is filled with used cars and a variety of second-hand vehicles, trailers, public work machinery, waste to be recycled, trailers loaded with tires, and containers with dangerous material to be used by West African major development projects or mines.
