Greenpeace took action against a tanker on alleged export of harmful waste to Denmark.
The organisation claims that a small group of activists from Greenpeace Nordic has taken action against a tanker carrying “toxic waste”, as they say, from the Norwegian oil industry to be discharged in Denmark.
“The activists have used divers and magnets underwater to attach a small sailboat to the hull of the tanker Bothnia, which was transporting up to 9,000 tonnes of toxic wastewater from Equinor’s refinery at Mongstad,” said Greepeace in a statement on Sunday.
Greenpeace citing Norwegian legal experts contends that the export is a violation of the Basel Convention, a treaty regulating the export of hazardous waste.
The organisation also accuses Norway’s state-owned oil company Equinor that is one of the main companies involved in the export, adding that this action is a protest against the Norwegian oil industry’s export of toxic wastewater to Denmark, a practice that in accordance with Greepeace, has been going on for more than twenty-five years polluting Danish waters.
As explained by Greenpeace, the so-called “produced water” is a byproduct of oil production, which is brought to the surface when the oil is extracted.
“We demand that Equinor immediately halts its illegal export of toxic waste to Denmark. For too long, Equinor has avoided taking responsibility for its waste and instead passed the problem onto our neighbours in Denmark to deal with. This has to stop”, said Tale Hammerø Ellingvåg, campaigner at Greenpeace Nordic.
The Greenpeace activists held up banners with the message “Equinor = toxic”, and painted “EQUITOX” on the side of the tanker.
Cinta Hondsmark from Greenpeace Nordic is onboard the sailboat Tanker Tracker:
“I’m taking action today to send a clear message to Equinor that its illegal transport of toxic oil water to our neighbouring country Denmark will no longer be accepted. Equinor is killing our oceans and it has to stop. Our demand is simple: Equinor must immediately stop the export and clean up its own mess”, said Cinta Hondsmerk, activist from Norway.
The allegations of Greepeace didn’t receive until now any official response from the company.
On the other hand, Equinor has an extensive maritime activity around the world, including around 175 vessels on contract at any time. The Norwegian giant has an ambition of halving its maritime emissions in Norway by 2030 and halving its global maritime emissions by 2050.
Currently the company is working to reduce its own consumption and the carbon intensity of fossil-based maritime fuels it consumes.
