Inaccurate reports on Probo Koala - Gulf Jash
03 June 2011
In recent weeks, there have been a
number of exceptionally alarmist media stories about the Gulf Jash,
the ship formerly known as the Probo Koala. The Probo Koala was at
the centre of the incident in 2006 when waste slops were illegally
dumped in Abidjan, Ivory Coast by Compagnie Tommy, in breach of
undertakings to Trafigura.
In some of these stories, the facts
have been so far from the truth that Trafigura feels compelled to
respond.
- The Probo Koala/Gulf Jash is not
owned by Trafigura and never has been owned by
Trafigura.
- The ship is not a “toxic waste
ship”. It is a bulk carrier/tanker. When operating as a tanker it
transported gasoline, crude oil, diesel, etc and as a bulk carrier
it transported coal, iron ore, etc.
- Every ship has waste/slops tanks
to cope with onboard waste. The contents of those slops tanks will
depend on the last few voyages.
- Any residue of the waste from
the same cargo as the slops illegally dumped by Compagnie
Tommy in Abidjan was proved to have been totally removed from the
ship in 2006.
- In any case, the deaths and
injuries reported in Abidjan could not have been caused by the
slops, as confirmed by the opinion of independent reports and
analysis and is also the opinion of twenty medical and scientific
experts.
- This tanker is no different from
the next one.