96-665: The 2006 Ivory Coast toxic waste dump was a health crisis in Ivory Coast in which a ship registered in Panama , the Probo Koala , chartered by the Singaporean-based oil and commodity shipping company Trafigura Beheer BV , offloaded toxic waste to an Ivorian waste handling company which disposed of it at the port of Abidjan . The local contractor, a company called Tommy, dumped the waste at 12 sites in and around
192-436: A refinery to do this work, Trafigura used an obsolete process on board the ship called "caustic washing", in which the coker gasoline was treated with caustic soda . The process worked, and the resulting naphtha was resold for a reported profit of $ 19 million . The waste resulting from the caustic washing would typically include hazardous substances such as sodium hydroxide , sodium sulfide and phenols . On 2 July 2006,
288-523: A known fortification expert, with finishing the long-lasting project of fortifying the port. Münnich presented his plan in 1763, but it was deemed too grandiose and also less important than the port in Kronstadt . Ultimately, no new construction works began, only existing projects were to be worked on. Münnich died in 1767. On 18 November 1768, Catherine the Great ordered for works to be stopped. At this time,
384-561: A lifetime of exposure to toxic substances, not from their actions. The Probo Koala had its cargo rejected in Europe by Amsterdam Port Services BV, and was to be charged €500,000 in nearby Moerdijk . On 19 August it offloaded a liquid waste in Abidjan, paying around €18,500 for its disposal. According to the City of Amsterdam's report, before it dumped the waste in Abidjan, the Probo Koala
480-491: A link". The package would be divided into groups of $ 1,546 which would then be paid to 31,000 people. The deal came soon after a report by the UN claimed there was "strong prima facie evidence" that the waste was responsible for injuries. The company responded by saying they were "appalled at the basic lack of balance and analytical rigour reflected in the report." The Ivorian National Federation of Victims of Toxic Waste said Trafigura
576-608: A majority of the Dutch House of Representatives expressed their desire for a new investigation into the Probo Koala . On 8 January 2007, The Guardian reported that the legal team for Leigh Day had arrived in Abidjan, and would begin taking statements from thousands of witnesses in the area. In late 2008, a criminal prosecution was begun in the Netherlands by the Dutch Public Prosecutors office. While
672-493: A partner in the firm, feared that the cash would not reach the victims. Shortly after it became apparent that the toxic slops from the Probo Koala had led to the outbreak of sickness, two Trafigura executives, Claude Dauphin and Jean-Pierre Valentini, travelled to Abidjan. They were arrested on 18 September , four days after their arrival, and were held in Abidjan's Maca prison, charged with breaking Côte d'Ivoire's laws against poisoning. There were several reported attacks of
768-411: A public health emergency with tens of thousands of people seeking treatment." The BBC did not agree to remove further allegations about the dumping such as 16 September article:- "Trafigura knew of waste dangers"; this quoted from internal Trafigura emails which showed that the company knew the waste was toxic before they dumped it. In one, a Trafigura employee says "This operation is no longer allowed in
864-567: A regular connection with Kapellskär in Sweden . Danish ferry operator DFDS is also operates a regular connection on the same route. Operation «Ämblik» (Spider) was conducted in Paldiski on 16 March 1993 by 33 Estonian police officers and 40 border guards to establish Estonian law in the area, including in the Russian military base . At the time in Paldiski, there was about 1,500 members of
960-547: A six-roundtrip operation to Kapellskär (Sweden) for passengers, and a Cargo and Navirail operation to and from Hanko (Finland). The old Soviet 'Pentagon' building has been demolished at some point between 2006 and 2009 to make way for a large and modern logistics park. The Pakri wind farm is located in Paldiski at the tip of the Pakri peninsula near the old lighthouse . It consists of eight wind turbines of type Nordex N-90, and generates 18.4 MW of clean electricity, when
1056-555: A survey of the coasts of the new territories to identify potential locations for building new ports. The survey determined that Rågervik Bay (modern Paldiski Bay) was the only suitable place on the southern shore of the Gulf of Finland for constructing a new warship port, despite having major drawbacks. Due to this, it was decided to temporarily utilize the already existing port in Reval instead, which also had major drawbacks. Dissatisfied with
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#17327720749461152-529: Is a town and Baltic Sea port located on the Pakri Peninsula in northwestern Estonia . Originally established as a small Swedish port known as Rågervik, it evolved into an important ice-free port upon being incorporated into the Russian Empire in the 18th century. Following Estonia's independence in 1918, the port experienced a decline in significance, only to regain importance during
1248-458: Is dedicated to St Nicholas. Although closed for some years, this church has now reopened, with services held every Sunday at lunchtime. There are also a Pentecostal church, a Methodist church, and an Orthodox church. Paldiski is served by Paldiski railway station , a terminus station on the Elron rail line between Tallinn and Paldiski, providing a convenient link to the capital city. As part of
1344-529: Is derived from the Swedish name for the Pakri islands , Rågöarna . A small port, also named Rågervik, was established on the southern coast of the Pakri Peninsula sometime during the 17th century. This port has also been referred to as Rudewa and Ragövik . When Estonia was conquered by Peter the Great of Russia in 1710s, a new port was built approximately one kilometer north of the old Swedish port, but
1440-525: The 1689 Bill of Rights ". The suppressed details rapidly circulated via the Internet and Twitter and, amid uproar, Carter-Ruck agreed the next day to the modification of the injunction before it was challenged in court, permitting The Guardian to reveal the existence of the question and the injunction. The 11 September 2009 injunction remained in force in the United Kingdom until it was lifted on
1536-653: The Crimean War , English ships were in Rogerwiek Bay between 23 June and 25 June in 1854, and threatened to bombard the town. By the end of the 18th century, after the Russo-Swedish War of 1788–1790 , the fortress and garrison had lost their importance and were abandoned, but the garrison was temporarily reestablished several times after that. The town's civilian population had grown significantly, reaching around 500 inhabitants The construction of
1632-401: The Probo Koala called at Amsterdam port in the Netherlands to discharge the slops contained in the vessel's dedicated slops tanks. During the transfer such a foul smell was released onto the city that the disposal company Amsterdam Port Services B.V. (APS) decided to consult with the city of Amsterdam. After half the waste was transferred APS increased the handling fee 30-fold. APS then informed
1728-653: The Russian armed forces . The aim of the police operation was to contain illegal activities including weapons trade and to restrict the activities of thugs in Paldiski, who behaved like they ran the town. For example, on 9 March 1993, several Russian armed forces officers were detained by Estonian authorities in Tallinn due to an attempt to sell firearms. This operation was not agreed to with the Russian government beforehand and preparations were kept in secrecy. Confusion in Paldiski among Russian military personnel helped to achieve
1824-482: The Russo-Swedish War of 1788–1790 , Swedish warships sailing under Dutch flags seized the port for a day and destroyed its artillery batteries. Rogerwiek Bay was blockaded by Swedish and English ships in the fall of 1808 as part of the Finnish War . When the blockade was lifted, Russian ships left for Kronstadt , leading to Baltiiski Port being bombarded by English ships, but little damage caused. As part of
1920-553: The St. Petersburg - Tallinn - Paldiski railway was finished in 1870, with the intent to utilize the ice-free port of Baltiiski to transport goods to St. Petersburg. Due to this, a passenger station, a depot, a water tower, a fire station, a naval school, and warehouses were built. By around 1914, the town had reached around 1300 inhabitants. On 22 June 1912, Russian emperor Nicholas II and German kaiser Wilhelm II met in Baltiiski for
2016-470: The breakwater between the mainland and Väike-Pakri Island. As part of the preparations, among other things, church, barracks and two piers were built, but relatively little work was actually done. Real work only started in 1723, when the Great Northern War had concluded. Many things were built, including bastions and central rampart for the fortress, an almost 300 meter long breakwater for
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#17327720749462112-435: The collapse of Soviet union , it became permanent, and nuclear material was transported back to Russia in 1994. The reactors were thereafter decommissioned. The reactors were protected with sarcophagus, finished by 2006, in Paldiski as they were potentially dangerous due to the radioactivity. Incidents, when Paldiski was a closed military town under Soviet/Russian jurisdiction, did happen rarely and if something happened, it
2208-727: The 17th century, being located approximately one kilometer south of where Peter the Great was later going to establish his port by the same name. Peter the Great , on behalf of Russia , entered the Great Northern War against Sweden in 1700 with the aim of restoring Russia's access to the Baltic Sea , which it had previously lost. He began building a fleet on the Baltic Sea in 1702, established Saint Petersburg in 1703, and by 1710, he had gained full control over Estonia and Livonia . Upon assuming control, Peter ordered
2304-558: The BBC's Newsnight program, announced on 16 May 2009 that they would sue the BBC for libel . The scope of the dumping and the related illnesses were slow to emerge. While the first cargo was offloaded in August 2006, the dumping continued for almost three weeks before the population knew what was happening. But as early as 19 August, residents near the landfill at Akouédo [ fr ] knew that trucks were dumping toxic liquid into
2400-675: The City of Amsterdam concluded that the city was negligent when they allowed Trafigura to take waste back on board the Probo Koala in Amsterdam in July. Part of the Probo cargo was offloaded with the intent to have it processed with an Amsterdam waste processing company but when this turned out too expensive Trafigura took it back. The responsible local civil servants were reportedly unaware of existing Dutch environmental laws that would not allow its export given these circumstances. On 19 December 2006,
2496-530: The Court of Appeal should review again whether Claude Dauphin can be prosecuted for his part in the Probo Koala case, specifically for leading the export of dangerous waste materials. Earlier the Court of Appeal had ruled that this was not possible. On 23 July 2010, Trafigura were fined €1 million for the transit of the waste through Amsterdam before being taken to the Côte d'Ivoire to be dumped. The court ruled that
2592-472: The Environment (RIVM) were sent to Abidjan to investigate the situation. Following revelations by local press and government on the extent of the illnesses involved, the nine-month-old transitional government of Prime Minister Charles Konan Banny resigned. The government vowed to provide treatment and pay all medical costs associated with the waste dump. On 11 November 2006, a £100 million lawsuit
2688-696: The European Union, the United States and Singapore" it is "banned in most countries due to the 'hazardous nature of the waste'" and another says "environmental agencies do not allow disposal of the toxic caustic." On 24 April 2010, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists presented the Daniel Pearl Award for Outstanding International Investigative Reporting to the team of journalists who had revealed
2784-617: The Ivorian government £100 million (US$ 198m) for the clean-up of the waste; however the group denied any liability for the dumping, and as a part of the deal the government would not pursue further action against the group. The Trafigura employees Claude Dauphin , Jean-Pierre Valentini and Nzi Kablan, held by the Côte d'Ivoire authorities after the incident, were then released and charges were dropped against them. Further prosecutions against Ivorian citizens not employed by Trafigura continued. On 6 December 2006, an independent inquiry launched by
2880-618: The Soviet occupation. However, upon Estonia's restoration of independence, it subsequently diminished in significance once again. The town is home to the terminus of the Tallinn-Paldiski railway line and serves as the administrative center of Lääne-Harju Parish in Harju County . As of 1 January 2021, the town had a population of 3542. The first known name of Paldiski Bay is Rågervik, meaning "rye island bay" in Swedish, and
2976-651: The Trafigura waste", and was "established in a period between Trafigura's decision not to pay for expensive waste disposal in Amsterdam and its ship's arrival in Abidjan." The government fact-finding committee had no prosecutorial powers, and its findings were rejected by the company. The committee also found that officials in the Port of Abidjan and a variety of local and national bodies either failed to plug holes in environmental laws or were guilty of ignoring laws through corruption. On 13 February 2007, Trafigura agreed to pay
2006 Ivory Coast toxic waste dump - Misplaced Pages Continue
3072-542: The area. In 1622, Gustav II Adolf of Sweden granted the lands of the Padise monastery, including Suur-Pakri Island, to Thomas von Ramm, the former bürgermeister of Riga . Additionally, Thomas von Ramm purchased Väike-Pakri Island from Keila Manor in 1628. Von Ramms kept the ownership of both islands and the Padise Manor until Estonia became independent. The Swedish port of Rågervik was established sometime during
3168-545: The breakwater on the mainland was 400 meters long, with the breakwater on Väike-Pakri being 100 meters long. The port was 447 meters by 1067 meters in size. Baltiiski Port received town rights on 3 July 1783 being the center of the Baltiiski Kreis that existed between 1783 and 1796. Between 1787 and 1820, Baltiiski Port also held the status of a county town, which resulted in a court and other governmental institutions being established. On 6 March 1790, during
3264-476: The capital's residents. Trafigura originally planned to dispose of the slops – which resulted from cleaning the vessel and contained 500 tonnes of a mixture of fuel, caustic soda, and hydrogen sulfide – at the port of Amsterdam in the Netherlands . The company refused to pay Dutch company Amsterdam Port Services (APS) for disposal after APS raised its charge from €27 to €1,000 per cubic meter. The Probo Koala
3360-569: The city had not enough Estonian citizens, and Paldiski was then subordinated to Keila until 30 October 1996. Located some 45 km west of Tallinn , Paldiski was then made a municipality within Harju County . Derelict Soviet-style apartment buildings made up much of the town, and the relics of military bases were widespread. The significant portion of the town's residents are ethnic Russians, originally from other parts of Soviet Union and were relocated to Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic by Soviet policy . The ferry company Tallink operates
3456-443: The city in August 2006. The dumping, which took place against a backdrop of instability in Abidjan as a result of the country's first civil war, allegedly led to the death of 7 and 20 hospitalisations, with a further 26,000 people treated for symptoms of poisoning. In the days after the dumping, almost 100,000 Ivorians sought medical attention after Prime Minister Charles Konan Banny opened the hospitals and offered free healthcare to
3552-489: The coker gasoline to Trafigura. In early 2006, Pemex trucked the coker gasoline to Brownsville, Texas , where Trafigura loaded it aboard the Panamanian registered tanker Probo Koala , which was owned by Greek shipping company Prime Marine Management Inc. and chartered by Trafigura. Trafigura desired to strip the sulfurous products out of the coker gasoline to produce naphtha , which could then be sold. Instead of paying
3648-405: The company had knowingly sought to cover up its role in the incident. In September 2009 The Guardian obtained and published internal Trafigura emails showing that the traders responsible knew how dangerous the chemicals were. Trafigura agreed to a settlement of £30 million (US$ 42.4 million) to settle the class action suit against it. Law firm Leigh Day , which represented the Ivorian claimants,
3744-427: The company must also pay Dutch authorities a further 300,000 euros in compensation - the money it saved by dumping the toxic waste in Abidjan rather than having it properly disposed of in the Netherlands. The Dutch also agreed to stop the personal court case against Trafigura's chairman, Claude Dauphin, in exchange for a 67,000 euro fine. In September 2006, Trafigura commissioned the internal "Minton Report" to determine
3840-510: The company paid US$ 198 million for cleanup to the Ivorian government, without admitting wrongdoing in early 2007. A series of protests and resignations of Ivorian government officials followed this deal. In 2008, a civil lawsuit in London was launched by almost 30,000 Ivorians against Trafigura. In May 2009, Trafigura announced it would sue the BBC for libel after its Newsnight program alleged
3936-430: The disposal of the waste (based on the samples it received) for €500,000. Instead, the material was pumped back into the Probo Koala , which then left port on 5 July , appearing on 19 August in Côte d'Ivoire, where Compagnie Tommy, which was registered only days before the arrival of the Probo Koala , was contracted for €18,500 to dispose of the waste. The company contends that no waste was transported from Europe, and
2006 Ivory Coast toxic waste dump - Misplaced Pages Continue
4032-411: The dump were culled. On 19 August 2006, the tanker ship Probo Koala , chartered by the company Trafigura and docked at the port of Abidjan, transferred a liquid into tankers owned by a firm called Compagnie Tommy. The company claims the ship had been chartered by Trafigura to transport oil to another West African port, and was returning to Europe, empty. The transfer at Abidjan, according to the company,
4128-422: The dumping of their waste." In response, Trafigura announced on Monday 13 November 2006 that it had started libel proceedings against British lawyer Martyn Day, of Leigh Day & Co. On 20 September 2009, both cases were dropped in an out-of-court settlement. Trafigura announced it would pay more than $ 46 million to claimants, noting that 20 independent experts had examined the case but were "unable to identify
4224-487: The early 1990s. Soviet naval base headquarters was located in Paldiski. During World War II , Germans occupied town 28 August 1941 and left 1944. During the retreat, most of the town was burnt down, only 20 buildings survived. In 1962, Paldiski became a Soviet Navy nuclear submarine training centre. The training center had whole soviet nuclear submarine constructed by complete sections for naval personnel training purposes. The training center, known by locals as Pentagon,
4320-453: The effects of the waste. The story also claimed that Trafigura brought "ruin" on the country in order to make a "massive profit". The stories remain available on WikiLeaks. On 15 December 2009, the broadcaster agreed to apologise to Trafigura for the "Dirty Tricks" report, pay £25,000 to charity, and withdraw any allegation that Trafigura's toxic waste dumped in Africa had caused deaths. But at
4416-463: The firm had concealed the problem when it was first unloaded from a ship in Amsterdam. While previous settlements had been made in the case this was the first time Trafigura have been found guilty under criminal charges over the incident. On 16 November 2012, Trafigura and the Dutch authorities agreed to a settlement. The settlement obliged Trafigura to pay the existing 1 million euro fine, and in addition,
4512-701: The gasoline. Two offers to unload the slops in Lagos were refused by the captain and on 17 August 2006 the vessel sailed for Abidjan. On 19 August 2006, the Probo Koala offloaded more than 500 tons of toxic waste at the Port of Abidjan , Côte d'Ivoire. This material was then spread, allegedly by subcontractors, across the city and surrounding areas, dumped in waste grounds, public dumps, and along roads in populated areas. The substance gave off toxic gas and resulted in burns to lungs and skin, as well as severe headaches and vomiting. Seventeen people were confirmed to have died, and at least 30,000 injured. The company claimed that
4608-499: The goals of the operation. Operation had a shock effect on the criminal element as per Jüri Liim. On 21 April 1993, there were half a dozen Estonian police officers and Estonian border service personnel. The amenities in Paldiski include three grocery stores, a pizza place, a tavern, and a café. The housing blocks in the town do not all appear dilapidated and abandoned, and several have been refitted and re-painted in recent years. There are also several new apartment buildings, and
4704-467: The government. On 4 September , the government called for protesters to allow free circulation of traffic so the area's hospitals, which were complaining of a flood of injured, could operate. In the aftermath of the crisis, many top government figures resigned. This mass resignation has been called "unprecedented" in Côte d'Ivoire's history. In an effort to prevent the contamination of the food chain, large numbers of livestock (among them 450 pigs) affected by
4800-490: The green areas along with children's parks have been restored. The Logistics Battalion of the Estonian Defense Forces is stationed in Paldiski. The Pakri Science and Industrial Park with its 60 hectare Pakri Smart Industrial City lies within the limits of the city. On 20 July 1718, Peter the Great of Russia ceremoniously initiated the construction of the breakwater between Väike-Pakri island and
4896-431: The incident said that Trafigura was to blame for the dumping of waste, and was aided by Ivorians. A government committee concluded that Trafigura knew that the nation had no facilities to store such waste and knowingly transported the waste from Europe to Abidjan. The report further claimed that the "Compagnie Tommy" which actually dumped the substance "shows all the signs of being front company set up specifically to handle
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#17327720749464992-457: The incident was an accident caused by the mishandling by an Ivorian company of waste water used to wash the ship's storage tanks. A Dutch newspaper reported on this possibility, saying the waste could have been generated as a result of attempted on-board desulfurization (removing mercaptans ) of naphtha in a Merox -like process. In this way high mercaptan-laden gasoline is upgraded to meet certain country-specific specifications. This would explain
5088-415: The lack of a suitable warship port on the southern shore of the gulf and near the open sea, Peter the Great personally began searching for the ideal location of the port. On July 23, 1715, he decided that the new port was going to be built on the shores of Rågervik Bay. Preparatory work finally started on 20 July 1718, when Peter the Great of Russia ceremoniously initiated the construction of the fortress and
5184-418: The landfill and blocked the entrance of one of the trucks to the dump, which had been freshly painted with the logo of a newly created company. Residents near several landfills in the suburbs of Abidjan began complaining publicly of foul-smelling gas in the first week of September, and several people were reported to have died. Protests broke out in several areas against both the companies dumping liquid waste and
5280-483: The last time before going to war with each other two years later, as part of World War I . Only one Russian warship was destroyed in the bay as part of the war. During one shelling by the Germans, 20 houses were destroyed and 10 people died. Germans also tried to bomb the town from a zeppelin but failed. Near the end of the war, Russia started building fortifications around the town and established artillery batteries at
5376-400: The mainland during the Russo-Swedish War of 1741–1743 . In 1746, Elizabeth of Russia ordered for works to be continued, but ultimately nothing came of it. Some works on the port and the breakwater continued in 1751 and 1753, respectively. On 20 August 1762, Catherine the Great of Russia gave orders to rename Rogerwiek to Baltiiski Port. She also tasked Burkhard Christoph von Münnich ,
5472-433: The mainland, which was never fully completed. Nowadays, Paldiski commemorates this event by celebrating its birthday on July 20th. Paldiski received town rights on 3 July 1783. Paldiski has two schools: Paldiski Gümnaasium and Vene Gümnaasium (Russian Gymnasium). In addition, there is a private pre-school facility, called Paladski Beebi Maja. There are several churches in town. The Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church
5568-458: The manor being established in 1802. The manor was located 1.5 kilometers north-east of the port. Ohtra village, just south of Pakri village, had existed since at least the end of the 17th century. There are reports of severe Russian raids and looting in the area from around 1576–1580, which were repeated by the Polish around the years 1601 and 1611. This led to a significant loss of population in
5664-486: The name of the Baltic Sea , on which the port resides. The name of the bay, however, remained unchanged as Рогэвикъ . The modern, phonetically spelled Estonian name Paldiski first appeared in literature during the first half of the 19th century. However, it only became the official name on 19 June 1933. Prior to that, the official name of the town in Estonian was Baltiski. The bay was also renamed Paldiski Bay around
5760-467: The name remained virtually unchanged, except for being transliterated into Russian as Ро́гервик . Additionally, it was known as Rogerwiek in German. On 20 August 1762, Catherine the Great of Russia gave orders to rename Rågervik to Baltiiski Port ( Russian : Балтійскій Порт , Estonian : Baltiski sadam German : Baltisch-Port , French : Port Baltique ). This name is directly derived from
5856-438: The night of 16 October . The report contains discussion of various harmful chemicals "likely to be present" in the waste— sodium hydroxide , cobalt phthalocyanine sulfonate , coker naphtha , thiols , sodium alkanethiolate , sodium hydrosulfide , sodium sulfide , dialkyl disulfides , hydrogen sulfide —and notes that some of these "may cause harm at some distance". The report says potential health effects include "burns to
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#17327720749465952-399: The north-eastern coast of the peninsula, Leetse village was first mentioned in 1561, and the manor was established in 1677. Sometime during the 19th century, the village directly to the west of the manor, in the interior of the peninsula, that previously had been referred to as Perraste , Paresta and Pärast , was renamed Leetse village. Pallaste village was first mentioned in 1582, with
6048-579: The numbers reported by the Ivorian government in 2008 reaching 17 dead, dozens severely ill, 30,000 receiving medical treatment for ailments connected to the chemical exposure, of almost 100,000 seeking medical treatment at the time. While the company and the Ivorian government continue to disagree on the exact make up of the chemicals, specialists from the United Nations, France, and the Dutch National Institute of Public Health and
6144-529: The poisoning of 30,000 West Africans". The vessel (renamed Gulf Jash ) was initially heading to Chittagong , Bangladesh for dismantling. However, the Government of Bangladesh imposed a ban on the ship from entering into its waters and therefore, as of June 2011, the ship was reportedly headed for Alang , India . In August 2011 it was again renamed the Hua Feng . In 2012 the ship, renamed to Hua Wen ,
6240-614: The port, and a lighthouse at the tip of the peninsula. There were also plans to build a fortress on the Väike-Pakri Island, right across the bay from the mainland fortress, but these plans were ultimately abandoned, when Peter the Great died in January 1725. Works on the mainland slowed down significantly, and were completely halted by 1731. Two artillery batteries were finished on the mainland in 1726 and at least one on Väike-Pakri in 1731. Two additional batteries being built on
6336-503: The report was only preliminary and was inaccurate. Faced with a libel case which under British law could drag on for years and cost millions of pounds on 10 December 2009, the BBC removed the original story entitled "Dirty Tricks and Toxic Waste in the Ivory Coast", along with accompanying video, from its website. The story featured interviews with victims in Côte d'Ivoire, including relatives of two children who, it claimed, died from
6432-648: The report's contents, including the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation and The Chemical Engineer magazine. On 12 October, Carter-Ruck warned The Guardian against mentioning the content of a parliamentary question that was due to be asked about the Minton Report. Instead the paper published an article stating that they were unable to report on an unspecified question and claiming that the situation appeared to "call into question privileges guaranteeing free speech established under
6528-471: The same time, the BBC issued a combative statement, pointing out that the dumping of Trafigura's hazardous waste had led to the British-based oil trader being forced to pay out £30m in compensation to victims. "The BBC has played a leading role in bringing to the public's attention the actions of Trafigura in the illegal dumping of 500 tonnes of hazardous waste", the statement said. "The dumping caused
6624-486: The same time. Laoküla village , situated just south-east of Paldiski, was first mentioned in the Danish Census Book in 1241 as Laiduscæ . It was a part of the ancient Keila parish and had a size of 18 oxgangs. The Pakri Islands , situated just off the coast of the current town, were first mentioned in 1283 as insula Rogoy , meaning "the rye island", but it is unknown if the islands had any inhabitants at
6720-399: The ship's master that authorities had given permission for the slops previously removed to be returned to the vessel. The Probo Koala departed Amsterdam on 5 July 2006 for Paldiski , Estonia, with the full knowledge and approval of the Dutch authorities. After taking on unleaded gasoline in Paldiski it left on 13 July 2006 on a previously-planned voyage to Lagos, Nigeria. In Lagos it unloaded
6816-475: The skin, eyes and lungs, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of consciousness and death", and suggests that the high number of reported casualties is "consistent with there having been a significant release of hydrogen sulphide gas". The version published on WikiLeaks, which has been republished by The Guardian , appears to be a preliminary draft, containing poor formatting and one comment in French. Trafigura has stated that
6912-425: The slops were an alkaline mix of water, gasoline, and caustic soda , along with a very small amount of foul-smelling and toxic hydrogen sulfide . Further, the company says that their tests show that, while noxious, the slop from their ship could not have caused deaths, no matter how poorly it was handled by a third party. The company contends that the people of Abidjan, especially those living near dumps, suffered from
7008-478: The story of Trafigura and the Côte d'Ivoire toxic waste dump. The award went to the British journalists Meirion Jones and Liz MacKean from BBC Newsnight and David Leigh from The Guardian , Synnove Bakke and Kjersti Knudsson from Norwegian TV, and Jeroen Trommelen from the Dutch paper De Volkskrant . The citation says the award was for reports "which exposed how a powerful offshore oil trader tried to cover up
7104-402: The target, the flight routes were often over Paldiski and this led to few incidents. Once a live bomb fell by accident to the local kindergartens cabbage field. Fortunately the bomb malfunctioned and caused no damage. On another occasion, a bomb fell by accident 15 meters from the working nuclear reactors. This bomb also malfunctioned and did not explode. After Estonia restored its independence,
7200-458: The territory of modern mainland Paldiski are about Pakri village from 1377, which was situated on the eastern edge of the modern administrative border of Paldiski, in the middle of the peninsula. In Estonian, Pakri Peninsula and Pakri Islands are named after this village. Väike-Pakri was first mentioned in 1425. The island was likely settled by Laoküla Swedes, as both were a part of Keila Manor. Pakri Peninsula also belonged to Keila Manor. On
7296-634: The time or which island was referred to. However, in 1345, Suur-Pakri Island, belonging to Padise Monastery, and some territories in Laoküla, belonging to Keila Manor, were sold to Swedish settlers. It is speculated that the sales happened as a result of the Saint George's Night Uprising of 1343, to shield the coast from rebellious Estonians . It is also speculated that some of the settlers were from Uusimaa , as Padise Monastery owned territories there. The first written records of human activity on
7392-418: The tip of the peninsula. After the war, Russian and German prisoners of war were exchanged through the port. As Estonia became independent in 1918, the importance of Baltiiski Port significantly decreased, with the main economic activities now being fishing and fish processing. In the 1930s, marble from Vasalemma began to be transported to Sweden through the port. On 19 June 1933, the official name of
7488-592: The town became Paldiski. Before that, Baltiski and Paldiski were used in parallel. In 1939, the Soviet Union built a naval base in Paldiski, under the Bases Treaty it forced on Estonia. In 1940, the whole population of Paldiski and the Pakri Islands were forcibly relocated and replaced by Soviet military personnel. Under the soviets, the settlement became a closed town and stayed that way until
7584-420: The town's redevelopment, this once near-derelict station has been renovated and painted in bright yellow and white colours. A great deal of investment has been put into the two ports and their facilities with a number of new berths having been created. From Paldiski Southern Port, Transfennica runs a number of ships to the port from Hanko (Finland) and Lübeck (Germany). From Paldiski Northern Port, DFDS runs
7680-553: The toxicity of the waste dumped in Abidjan. The Minton Report was subsequently leaked to the WikiLeaks web site and remains available there. On 11 September 2009, Trafigura, via lawyers Carter-Ruck , obtained a secret " super-injunction " against The Guardian , banning that newspaper from publishing the contents of the Minton report. Trafigura also threatened a number of other media organizations with legal action if they published
7776-460: The trial was not scheduled to begin until late 2009, the head of Trafigura, Claude Dauphin , was specifically cited as not under indictment. Rather the company itself, the captain of the Probo Koala , and Amsterdam port authorities would be charged with "illegally transporting toxic waste into and out of Amsterdam harbour" and falsification of the chemical composition of the ship's cargo on documents. The Dutch Supreme Court ruled on 6 July 2010, that
7872-519: The two executives during their imprisonment. Trafigura called for their immediate release, but this did not occur until a settlement for the cleanup was paid to the Ivorian government. Seven Ivorians were eventually brought to trial in Abidjan for their part in the dumping. The head of the Ivorian contractor who dumped more than 500 tonnes of toxic liquid was sentenced to 20 years in prison in November 2008. A November 2006 Ivorian government report into
7968-448: The waste was dirty water ("slops") used for cleaning the ship's gasoline tanks, but a Dutch government report, as well as an Ivorian investigation, disputed this, finding that it was toxic waste. During an ongoing civil lawsuit by over 30,000 Ivorian citizens against Trafigura, a Dutch government report concluded that in fact the liquid dumped contained two 'British tonnes' of hydrogen sulfide . Trafigura, following an investigative report by
8064-413: The waste was small. Press and government findings contend there was a substantial amount of hydrogen sulfide dumped, some 2 tonnes, of the 500 tonnes of dumped liquid. In the weeks following the incident the BBC reported that 17 people died, 23 were hospitalized, and a further 40,000 sought medical treatment (due to headaches, nosebleeds, and stomach pains). These numbers were revised upward over time, with
8160-466: The water/caustic soda/gasoline mix and also the presence in trace amounts of a certain catalyst called ARI-100 EXLz, generally used in this process. It would on the other hand not explain the presence of hydrogen sulfide , as the final stage of the Merox process is an organic disulfide unless the attempt at desulfurization had failed. The company has always contended that the amount of hydrogen sulfide in
8256-426: Was a routine maintenance stop, not a delivery of waste from European ports. Trafigura claims that this was done under agreement that the waste would be treated and disposed of legally, and that the substance was waste ("slops") from the routine washing of Probo Koala' s tanks. Again according to Trafigura, it became apparent that the untreated slops had been dumped illegally at municipal refuse dumps. They contend that
8352-466: Was classified. At the time Jüri Liim , first member of Supreme council and later expert of Estonian Ministry of Defense and Estonian government special representative in Paldiski, had an undercover and secret access to the closed city. As per his testimony, the Pakri Islands just next to Paldiski were the practice bombing targets for Soviet air force, including the soviet nuclear bombers. There
8448-422: Was demolished largely by 2007 Employing some 16,000 people, and with two land-based nuclear reactors (at 70 MW and 90 MW power, respectively), it was the largest such facility in the Soviet Union . In total Soviet navy used the facilities 27 years. Because of its importance, the whole city was closed off with barbed wire until the Russian military base was finally closed on 31 August 1994. Paldiski nuclear centre
8544-507: Was filed in the High Court in London by the UK firm Leigh Day & Co . alleging that "Trafigura were negligent and that this, and the nuisance resulting from their actions, caused the injuries to the local citizens." Martyn Day, of Leigh Day & Co said, "This has been a disaster on a monumental scale. We hold Trafigura fully to account for all the deaths and injuries that have resulted from
8640-544: Was handed by Russians to Estonian authorities on 30 September 1995. This followed the events of 1991, when the Soviet Union collapsed and Estonia regained independence. To house the stationing troops and those in training, many barracks buildings were built, which have since been left in disrepair. Russia relinquished control of reactor facilities in September 1995; the nuclear reactors were shut down in 1989, first on temporary basis because of Chernobyl accident and due to
8736-431: Was in port in the Netherlands from 2 to 5 July 2006. There the ship attempted to have the waste processed in Amsterdam, but Amsterdam Port Services BV, the company that had contracted to treat the waste, refused after its staff reported a noxious odor coming from the waste, which sickened several workers. A company specializing in the disposal of chemical waste, Afvalstoffen Terminal Moerdijk in nearby Moerdijk, tendered for
8832-439: Was later ruled to have been negligent in the way it paid out the settlement, after £6 million of the settlement funds was embezzled by officials of the Government of Ivory Coast . In 2002, Mexican state-owned oil company Pemex began to accumulate significant quantities of coker gasoline, containing large amounts of sulfur and silica , at its Cadereyta refinery. By 2006 Pemex had run out of storage capacity and agreed to sell
8928-411: Was no actual nuclear bombs used but bombs that were in similar weight and size category. Sometimes when the real combat bombs were used, the small earthquakes created from it could be felt in Paldiski and at the nuclear reactors. The personnel working at the site were concerned about potential cracks or other issues with the reactor due to this shaking. When approaching the Pakri Islands or leaving from
9024-627: Was operating between China and Indonesia, and in 2013 she entered a ship breaking yard in Taizhou, China where she was due for demolition. Health crisis Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.133 via cp1102 cp1102, Varnish XID 547104983 Upstream caches: cp1102 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 05:34:35 GMT Paldiski Paldiski
9120-550: Was reportedly turned away by several countries before offloading the toxic waste at the Port of Abidjan. An inquiry in the Netherlands in late 2006 confirmed the composition of the waste substance. Trafigura denied any waste was transported from the Netherlands, saying that the substances contained only tiny amounts of hydrogen sulfide, and that the company did not know the substance was to be disposed of improperly. After two Trafigura officials who traveled to Ivory Coast to offer assistance were arrested and subsequently attacked in jail,
9216-423: Was trying to avoid a legal case. Trafigura claimed that at least 75% of the receivers of money agreed with the deal. In January 2010, The Guardian reported that solicitors Leigh Day, working for the victims of toxic poisoning, had been ordered by a Côte d'Ivoire court to transfer victim's compensation to a "shadowy local organisation", using the account of Claude Gouhourou, a "community representative". Martyn Day,
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