| France. President Chirac orders aircraft carrier Clemenceau back to French waters |
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| Wednesday, 15 February 2006 | |
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Marian Martin Jacques Chirac has decided that the aircraft carrier Clemenceau should return to French territorial waters, "until a final solution is found for its dismantling". The President’s decision was announced by the Elysee after the French High Court had suspended the transfer of the “Clem” to India, where it was to be dismantled after having its remaining asbestos removed. The official statement said "The president of the Republic has decided to place this ship in French waters, as a guarantee of safety until a final solution is found for dismantling it. Jacques Chirac, who is scheduled to arrive in India, for an official visit, this Sunday, has called for a new survey that would establish, beyond doubt, the amount of asbestos remaining on board the former aircraft carrier, which is waiting outside Indian territorial waters. According to the French Ministry of Defense, there are 46 tons of asbestos in the hull of the vessel. Greenpeace and other environmental organisations say that there could be as much as 1,000 tons of asbestos still in the ship. Chirac called for European reflexion on the dismantling and depollution of very large ships and the setting up of rigorous worldwide standards to ensure the health of workers and the environment when a ship is exported to a foreign yard. He said “France must set an example and act with complete transparency in this matter, which raises environmental protection questions on a worldwide scale.” |
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| Last Updated ( Wednesday, 15 February 2006 ) |
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