A city council in northern England on Thursday threw out controversial plans to scrap ageing former US naval vessels which are believed to be packed with toxic materials. Four so-called ghost ships have been sitting at anchor in Hartlepool for the past three years after being towed across the Atlantic for disposal.

But on Thursday, ignoring recommendations from planning officials that the scrap plans by British company Able UK be approved, Hartlepool city council voted to reject the proposal. "We are not going to become the toxic waste dumping ground of Britain," Councillor Edna Wright told the meeting.

Able UK has been forced to carry out extensive environmental assessments due to worries about potentially toxic material in the rusting vessels. The first of the ships arrived on the River Tees in November 2003. No date has yet been set for the transport of any more of the fleet of rusting hulks.
(Planet Ark, 13/10/2006)
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