Maritime Safety, including Container-Ships

The Grande America, press release n°6

Robin des Bois (Robin Hood) requests that the ships of Grimaldi Lines (owner of the Grande America) currently calling or expected to call in the port of Le Havre be urgently subjected to detailed inspections, particularly regarding fire-fighting systems, the on-board distribution of hazardous materials and the safety of the hundreds of used vehicles awaiting loading. Given the circumstances, a careful examination of on-board vehicles and containers should be carried out if necessary by OCLAESP (Central Office of the fight against environmental and public health violations).

The Grande America, press release n°5.

As an NGO that has been keeping up with the kinetics of high or low intensity oil spills for 30 years, Robin des Bois advises people of good will to not engage in the collection of oil, algae or contaminated solid waste when they reach the shore.

The Grande America, press release n°4.

Inconsistencies. At his press conference on March 13^th 2019, the Atlantic Maritime Prefect stated that, according to the list of hazardous materials communicated to his services by Grimaldi Lines, there were 100 tonnes of hydrochloric acid and 70 tonnes of sulphuric acid [Class 8, corrosive substances] on board.

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.

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).

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.

– 272 collisions, shipwrecks and fatal fires

• Asia : 6610 fatalities
• Africa : 5014
• Oceania : 355
• America : 314
• Europe : 188

Minimal toll. In most cases, the passenger manifest has disappeared or does not match the reality.

Only in French.

Only in French.

Only in French.