s.s. Rotterdam to wander just like Norway and Clemenceau?...

[polsteam]

First of all I have to clarify, that I might even be glad, that Rotterdam will leave Gdansk to seek possibilities of undergoing "dirty" refurbishment somewhere else..
Perhaps the asbestos from Rotterdam should be dismantled in the Netherlands, because it was installed in the Netherlands and the ship is Dutch..

But..  to be honest and fair I have to admit, that anti-Rotterdam campaign was based on misinformation, fear escalation and mostly not rational..


S.s. Rotterdam moored on Monday in Gdansk Poland.

An unfriendly storm of media pressure against the ship started a few days before arrival.
The media campaign was not well informed, full of exaggeration, incompetence, intended terrifying of the reader / listener. "Serious" newspapers were behaving like the worst tabloids.

Press conference did not help at all. Most of the facts and arguments were ommitted / ignored by the media.

You have to know, that, unfortunately (to my great sorrow) local media on the Polish coast is very much unaware of maritime matters and provides dozens of reasons to laugh over the competence of local media journalists as far as maritime matters are concerned..  or rather to cry over it, one should say..

Recently, the very same local newspaper in Gdansk that led the way in unfair campaign against Rotterdam, reported on an unusually big ship entering the port of Gdynia, the 300,000 dwt Front Page, describing it as "the biggest containership ever served by the Port of Gdynia so far"..  what is more, they have mistaken the ships gross tonnage for displacement..

Today, local press revealed, the Pomeranian Voivod (a kind of "gubernator" of the Gdansk region), banned Rotterdam from doing repairs (including stripping of some asbestos insulation) on site, where the ship is moored now (in the "outer" Northern Port) and said he would allow the repairs / refurbishment only if it is done at one of the shipyards.
This is weird, because "Ore Pier", where she is moored now is by far placed longer distance from any housing areas than any shipyard in Gdansk and Gdynia..
However, after all, none of several yards in Gdansk and Gdynia seems to be willing to do the job.

Will this mean s.s. Rotterdam will wander just like Norway or Clemenceau, even if it was not intended to scrap it, but rather repair and strip from just part of the asbestos, leaving it on place, wherever practicable?...

Peter

[David Harrison]

I would have thought the owners of ss Rotterdam would have arranged with a particular shipyard to work on the ship and if there was any 'hassle', they would impose strict penalties. Have they not done this? :-?

[Robert Smith]

About 100 tons asbestos will be removed at Gdansk as well as abt. 1500 tons of other material prior to refurbishment. Grrenpeace has meanwhile been in toch with vessel's owners and it seems all permits are in order.
(Source: local Rotterdam newspaper)  :-)

[Hans Deijs]

Newsbulletin Rotterdam d.d. 03 March 2006:
Several Dutch newspapers report that in Poland opposition has been raised against the planned renovation of the steamship Rotterdam in de port of Gdansk.
Greenpeace wants to know what happens to the 180 tons of asbestos on board.

[Chris Mazzella]

Are there any large photos of the tow or as she looks now? I'd like to draw her, preferably while she was being towed

[kb23060]

However the description of Polish press releases targeted at "Rotterdam" in Gdańsk is quite right, it becomes obvious that all declarations telling that "all papers are ok" had only little touch with the reality. It is visible that no arrangements to the problem of asbestos were done. It is proved by the fact that "Rotterdam" is waiting in the harbour and the situation is without progress. There are many questions about this whole story which decrease the reliability of "R" owners. The first one would be the company which is the the "R"-owner-representative in  Poland. The steps undertaken by this company seems to be illegal and this is the reason for the current lack of action. (these problems were not mentioned by the polsteam - perhaps due to the date of the post)
I am curious if the Dutch press continues this topic. Are there any summaries od Dutch articles in English or German?

PS: In didn't find any interesting photos of "R" in Gdańsk in the Polish internet.  The web pointed by HANSD provides the best one.

[Robert Smith]

The Dutch press is following the developments closely, as is Greenpeace in the Netherlands. The present owners are located in Rotterdam, having a public function and are well monitored by authorities. The below is a recent excerpt from the Greenpeace website and shows that all necessary precautions must have been taken. Where do you get your input from ?

"Built in the Netherlands in 1959, this former Holland America Line (HAL) ship can carry 1114 passengers. The ship is no longer destined for breaking but has a new future! The new owner has plans to bring the ships back to her historical place Rotterdam in 2006. The ship will be used as a congress center, a restaurant, a theatre and a place were lots of young people can get their practical education for jobs. The ship will
also be a tourist attraction.

Up till February of 2006 the ship was in Cadiz in drydock for restoration. According to the owner of the ship after this the existing asbestos will be removed according to Dutch Law and precautions and the interior of the ship will be completely restored.

Interestingly, every year the owners will keep funds aside for the eventual safe and clean breaking of the ship - in many years from now-. The owner has communicated this eco-dismantling fund with the Dutch ministry of Environment. Whenever the time of breaking will be there the owners are willing to let the ship be broken at Ecodock, a future shipbreaking yard in the north of The Netherlands where End of Life Ships will be recycled in a safe and clean way. The owners expect that the Rotterdam will only be broken at least twenty years from now."

[Robert Smith]

For recent pictures suggest you visit the Dutch site:
www.derotterdam.com/fotos.php?n=0

For serious information you could look at the English version of: www.stoomschiprotterdam.nl

Best regards,

[Robert Fournier]

Don't I contest the merit to remove asbestos on the ships before their demolition in the yards, but it is the hypocrisy, currently in these yards of the hundreds of ships are demolished without people don't find anything has retell, and yet these ships are full amiante.Puts a question, why?

Salutations
Robert

[kb23060]

fournier wrote:
Don't I contest the merit to remove asbestos on the ships before their demolition in the yards, but it is the hypocrisy, currently in these yards of the hundreds of ships are demolished without people don't find anything has retell, and yet these ships are full amiante.Puts a question, why?

Salutations
Robert

The answer(s) might be quite simple.
1. Asbestos and "similar topics" are becoming more and more popular - not only for organisations like Greenpeace but for governments and such structures like European Comission - and the EU in general.

2. Countries willing to cope with asbestos in the past want to be called "environment-friedly" and change their policy in these areas.

3. Events concerning famous ships (Norway, Rotterdam, etc) are followed by many organisations and media because it is easy to win public audience. So far it works.

Regards from Poland.
kb23060

[kb23060]

Good news: Rotterdam will be renovated. The asbestos will be removed with the use of some innovative technologies, which exclude dager of pollution, and then sent to Germany in decontamination containers.

Rergards.

kb23060