CEA investigating into ship carrying toxic wastes : Minister

By Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera  
While admitting that the Central Environment Authority (CEA) was unaware that a Singapore cargo ship carrying hazardous material was heading to Sri Lanka from the US, State Minister of Environment Janaka Wakkumbura said yesterday that the CEA has already launched a comprehensive investigation into the incident.   
He told Parliament that Sri Lanka Customs and the Colombo Port have been informed of the cargo ship and assured to provide a report to the House regarding the incident.   

• SL would not have known of the hazardous material in the cargo ship if not for the accident encountered by the ship

The Minister said this while responding to a question raised by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, who asked the government’s reaction to media reports on the Singapore cargo ship Dali chartered by Maersk, which crashed into the Baltimore bridge on March 26, carrying 764 tons of hazardous material.   
The Opposition Leader said a proper investigation should be conducted as to how such a cargo ship carrying hazardous material was heading to Sri Lanka without the knowledge of the country.   
“We would not have known of the hazardous material in the cargo ship unless it encountered an accident. A proper investigation should be conducted as to how such a ship was heading to Sri Lanka in such a manner,” he said.   
Minister Wakkumbura admitted the fact that Sri Lanka would not have known of the hazardous material in the cargo ship if not for the accident encountered by the ship.   
The Opposition Leader pointed out that the regulation passed in 2013 called commercial hub regulation had allowed some goods to reach the country bypassing some laws and added that 263 containers full of waste material reached the country from the United Kingdom several years ago and had to make great effort to send them back.   He requested the minister to look into that also and prevent any loopholes through which such goods could enter the country.   
Parliamentarian Charitha Herath also pointed out that the CEA can investigate the incident as Sri Lanka has ratified the Basel Convention and Rotterdam Convention.