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MEPA urged to ensure safety of workers engaged in clearing toxic debris from X-Press disaster
By Ifham Nizam
Nearly 70 people engaged in the cleaning and collecting of nurdles from the ill-fated X-Press Pearl Ship, which sank off the port of Colombo in May 2021, were at a severe risk due to being exposed to harmful chemical substances, warns a team of experts covering a wide spectrum.
Hemantha Withanage, Senior Advisor, Centre for Environmental Justice/Chairman, Friends of the Earth, told The Island yesterday that they had informed the Marine Pollution Prevention Authority (MEPA) of the carcinogenic effects and the potential disasters in waiting.
“There are some 70 odd women at work and they are exposed to higher risk and it is the paramount duty of MEPA to ensure their safety. This should be scientifically handled,” Withanage strongly believes.
Withanage said that going by the scientific evidence, the ship’s chemical spill would have a negative impact for 500 years.
According to Withanage the International Maritime Organization’s Maritime Safety Commission is currently discussing how to address the loss of plastic pellets at sea and better track containers lost at sea.
Sri Lanka has submitted a proposal to classify plastic pellets as hazardous substances, and Vanuatu has presented one addressing the reporting of containers lost at sea.
Withanage added: “It is significant that developing island states located along the busiest maritime routes are taking a lead here. As global trade grows, their coastal communities are threatened by toxic chemicals and plastic pollution from shipping disasters that could cause them long-lasting or irreversible damage.,”
The ship was carrying 1,680 tonnes of plastic pellets. After the incident dead fish, turtles, dolphins, and whales washed up on local beaches, along with huge quantities of plastic pellets. Fishing bans were imposed and clean-up operations began. To better understand the potential toxicity of the plastic pollution, CEJ collected samples of pellets and ‘burnt lumps’ (plastic debris from the ship) from four coastal locations.
The samples were analyzed for heavy metals, benzotriazole UV (BUV) stabilizers, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), bisphenols, and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
“The X-Press Pearl disaster reveals the complexity of shipping chemicals. All steps should be under scrutiny to ensure this accident is not repeated. Our report shows these accidents have huge consequences on the environment and economies,” says Chalani Rubesinghe, project planning and management officer with CEJ.
Therese Karlsson, IPEN science and technical advisor, said: “Around 90% of the world trade in goods is shipped by sea. As container ships are becoming bigger and transporting increasingly complex mixtures of chemicals, this incident must be considered the oil spill of our times. To protect coastal communities, it is therefore crucial that prevention, mitigation, and regulatory measures are adapted to tackle the risks associated with today’s shipping patterns.”
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Food Policy and Security Committee recommends importation of rice to ensure an uninterrupted supply
The Food Policy and Security Committee has recommended the importation of rice in the near future to ensure an uninterrupted supply for consumers.
A notable increase in rice prices has been observed in the market, along with reports of shortages of certain rice varieties, despite the current harvest season.
Given this situation, discussions were held regarding the need for the Cabinet to prioritize the maintenance of sufficient stock, through rice imports.
The Committee, chaired by Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation K.D. Lalkantha and Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development Vasantha Samarasinghe, convened for the fifth time at the Presidential Secretariat on Tuesday (01). The meeting aimed to formulate policy decisions to ensure food security.
During the discussions, it was revealed that due to excessive rainfall this year, crop damage occurred on two occasions, leading to a significant reduction in the expected harvest.
Furthermore, during the meeting it was stated that the improper use of rice for animal feed is another major reason contributing to the rice shortage. As a result, the Committee also focused on the importation of broken rice for animal feed and the use of alternative feeds to mitigate the impact on livestock production.
Accordingly, the Food Policy and Security Committee approved the formation of a Committee, led by the Director General of Agriculture, to oversee the importation of the required quantity of broken rice through proper mechanisms.
Secretary to the Prime Minister Pradeep Saputhanthri, Senior Additional Secretary to the President Kapila Janaka Bandara, and other members of the Food Policy and Security Committee, including Ministry Secretaries, participated in the discussions.
The People of Myanmar are facing immense hardships caused by the devastating earthquake on 28th March and as reported by the international media reports the death toll is over 2,700. Furthermore, it has been reported that many people are missing while, a large number of individuals have been injured and are receiving treatment.
Considering the long – term close relationship between the two nations as two Buddhist states, the Cabinet of Ministers has decided to provide,
• A sum of United States Dollars One Million
• Transportation for the dry rations collected by Buddhist clergy and other donors
• To have a group of medical officers and health staff on standby for immediate departure to Myanmar if necessary
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Cabinet appoints ministerial committee to submit report on sanctions imposed on 04 Sri Lankans by the United Kingdom
Attention of the Cabinet of Ministers have been drawn on the decisions taken by the United Kingdom to impose sanctions on four Sri Lankan individuals recently, and have decided to appoint a committee comprised of three ministers to submit a report with recommendations on the further measures to be taken after studying the facts in the regard and to empower the committee to obtain the service of any officer/intellect deemed to have subject expertise in the relevant field and considered essential.
The committee will comprise of :
– Vijitha Herath Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism
– Attorney – at – Law Harshana Nanayakkara Minister of Justice and National Integrity
– Aruna Jayasekara Deputy Minister of Defence
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