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UK, Lankan Environment Ministries work together to solve container mystery
The Environmental Ministry in the United Kingdom was this week in touch with its Sri Lankan counterpart to unravel the mystery of 100 containers piled up at the Colombo Port for more than a year, reportedly containing waste from Britain.
One of the controversial containers being inspected in the Colombo Port
The move came as the Finance Ministry claimed that the containers consisted of mixed waste material and were imported in contravention of an international convention; but the owner of the consignment disputing and claiming that the containers only had ‘used mattresses, rugs and carpets’.
“UK Environment Ministry officials are in contact with their Sri Lankan counterparts to request further information in order to support the Sri Lankan investigation into the contents and origins of the shipment,” a spokesman for the British High Commission in Colombo said.
“The UK is committed to tackling illegal waste exports, which is why individuals found to be exporting incorrectly described waste can face a two year jail term or an unlimited fine,” the spokesman explained.
He said that in the event that an illegal shipment is found to be the responsibility of a UK exporter, the UK regulator will take steps to ensure that the waste is returned to the UK.
As Customs investigations continued, the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) was pushing for the re-export of the contents in the containers.
“Our position is that the imports were illegal and had no licenses for such imports and therefore need to be re-exported immediately,” CEA’s Director General Hemantha Jayasinghe told the Sunday Times.
He said his officials had inspected some of the containers at the Port and determined that they contained waste and thereby decided to call for the re-exporting of the material.
But the owner of the consignment, Ceylon Metal Processing Corporation (Pvt) Ltd on Friday dismissed claims that the containers consisted of waste and had written to the CEA and the Consumer Protection Unit of the Customs for an inquiry.
“We strongly deny that we have imported waste,” the company’s director Sasikumaran Muthuramar told the Sunday Times.
He said his company was involved in a business with Hayleys Free Zone Ltd of what is known as a ‘resource recovery’ business and were involved in the import of ‘used mattresses, carpets and rugs’ to Sri Lanka from which the resources, mostly metal is extracted and re-exported.
Mr. Muthuramar confirmed that it was one of their previous consignments which was sent to the Hayleys yard at the Export processing zone in Katunayake which the CEA says has been dumped in a hazardous manner posing an environmental threat.
“The contents there are under the HFZL and therefore we cannot comment on the situation,” he said.
However, the Board of Investment (BOI) under which the HFZL operation is carried out this week detailed out action which it had initiated against the company for failure to adhere to regulations.
The BOI said HFZL has engaged in separating the components of the used mattresses, sofas etc., and compressing them for re-export to different manufacturing industries, which tantamount to resources recycling activity.
“Although the Entrepôt (involving an import, minor processing and re-export) Trade permits importation and minor processing, it does not encompass any kind of resource recycling activities. If any such activity is to be performed by a Hub Operator, explicit written approval must be obtained from the BOI and the Central Environmental Authority,” the BOI said.
Accordingly the BOI in January 2018 had directed the HFZL to suspend all future shipments of used material with immediate effect; re-ship all such cargo within one-month; ensure that the cargo is not getting wet and infiltrated with surface or surface run-off to the surrounding areas; obtain prior approval from BOI for any value addition process to be performed and to suspend import of all post-consumer waste/material without prior approval of the CEA.
But, CEA inspections revealed that the company had failed to follow proper environmental practices over the consignment and left it in the open thereby causing an environment concern.
HFZL director Asanka Ratnayake told the Sunday Times that they were now in the process of working on a deadline of August 12, set out by the BOI to resolve the issue.
He said, meanwhile, the contents at the EPZ were now being re-loaded into containers while discussions are on with the owner of the consignment as well.
The Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) this week filed a writ of Certiorari and Mandamus in the Court of Appeal over the two consignments in which they sought an order directing the CEA or the Customs transporting the waste inside the country other than for re-exportation and also a direction to take steps to re-export the waste containers back to the UK.
The CEJ on Monday will be filing a revised application bringing in the BOI as well as a respondent.
The Attorney General assured the Court of Appeal on Thursday that the garbage at the Colombo Harbour and the Katunayake zone will remain at the same location until further hearing due tomorrow.
Meanwhile Customs Spokesman Sunil jayaratne told the Sunday Times that with the help of the Foreign Ministry they were discussing ways of re-exporting the containers back to the country of origin.
He said that they hope to carryout the task in the next two weeks.
(See Business section for related story)