Mongstad, Norway – Greenpeace Nordic’s blockade of a tanker transporting toxic wastewater from the Norwegian oil industry to Denmark was ended for safety reasons after 69 hours, when the activists made the decision to leave due to deteriorating weather conditions.
It was Sunday night that four activists from Greenpeace Nordic took action against a tanker about to load and export toxic wastewater to Denmark. The activists used divers and magnets to attach a small sailboat to the hull of the tanker Bothnia, which the Norwegian state-owned oil company Equinor uses to transport toxic wastewater to Denmark.
After successfully blocking the loading and export of toxic waste for 3 days, the activists sailed away on Wednesday afternoon as bad weather with high winds and thunder was approaching.
“We have spent almost 3 days and 3 nights exposing Equinor’s illegal and irresponsible export of toxic waste. This poison from the Norwegian oil industry is killing the ocean in Denmark, and it has to stop. We are calling off this action for safety reasons as some really bad weather is rolling in, but that does not mean that the fight against Equinor’s toxic oil water is over, and we are going to demand a meeting with the management of Equinor,” said Norwegian activist Amanda Louise Helle.
As much as 150,000 tonnes of toxic water is believed to be exported to Denmark each year, where it is treated before being released into Danish waters. But the current treatment is unable to remove all harmful toxic and carcinogenic chemicals, and local fishermen have reported a dramatic decline in fish populations in the areas where the wastewater is discharged. Leading Norwegian legal experts state that the export is a violation of the Basel Convention, a treaty regulating the export of hazardous waste.
ENDS
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Oda Grønbekk, Communications Officer, Greenpeace Norway: +47 92 42 12 15, [email protected]
Tale Ellingvåg, spokesperson on site, Greenpeace Norway: +47 92 44 06 83
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