(15th May 2001)
Asbestos Scare Delays Tanker Scrapping
Portsmouth Newspaper the News reports that the scrapping of former RFAs Olna and Olwen has been delayed after asbestos was discovered on the elderly vessels.
The two decommissioned Ol Class Fleet Replenishment Tankers left Portsmouth earlier this year, having been sold to Turkish shipbreakers. However the vessels have been banned from entering the Turkish port where they were to be broken up, over fears that scrapping would release asbestos dust. Instead the two vessels are now docked in a Greek port while a decision is taken on their future. Health and safety laws would prevent scrapping in British ports while the cost of towing the tankers around Africa for scrapping in India or Pakistan (where health and safety laws are less strict) is too high.
The discovery of asbestos aboard Olna and Olwen has raised concern that the material will also be present aboard veteran assault ships HMS Fearless (L10) and HMS Intrepid (L11), both of which date from the same era.