Divers from the UK Raise Public Awareness About Toxic Dumping in Whitsand Bay
An application submitted by contractors for the UK Ministry of Defence to continue dredging the Devonport Naval Base and dumping it in Whitsand Bay has local divers and activists in a frenzy trying to raise public awareness about the toxic effects of the dumping in order to stop the activity for good.
Dredging around the naval base and other deepwater locations near Plymouth has been ongoing for years to make clear passage for warships and submarines, and a license must be granted for the work every two years. However, the leader of the campaign Stop Dumping in Whitsand Bay claims that the dredged up silt is loaded with toxic PAH (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), and is choking out life within the bay.
Strangely, the Whitsand Bay was recently declared a marine conservation zone, but the application acknowledges that their proposed dumping area crosses into the area. A spokesman for the naval base stated that “the disposal site is chosen by the Marine Management Organization through careful analysis.”
Source: www.aquaviews.net
