2006 Côte d'Ivoire toxic waste spill

The 2006 Côte d'Ivoire toxic waste spill was a health crisis in Côte d'Ivoire in which a ship illegally dumped toxic waste in up to 12 sites around the country's largest city, Abidjan, in August 2006. [“In pictures: Ivorian toxic waste” [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/5322760.stm bbc.co.uk Link 7 Sept 2006] .]

The incident

On August 19, 2006 a ship called the "Probo Koala" offloaded up to 500 tons of toxic waste, rumoured to be dirty water used for cleaning the ship's gasoline tanks, for disposal. The waste was transferred into tankers owned by a firm called "Compaigne Tommy" under agreement that it would be treated and disposed of. However, soon after, it became apparent that the untreated slops had been dumped illegally at municipal refuse dumps. The toxic waste, an alkaline mix of water, gasoline, and caustic soda, allegedly gave off many poisonous chemicals, including hydrogen sulphide. In the weeks following the incident 10 people died, 23 were hospitalized, and a further 40,000 sought medical treatment (due to headaches, nosebleeds, and stomach pains), the UN humanitarian office (OCHA) is more circumspect about the cause of their death and stated that no definitive link has been established between the cause of death and the waste. A Dutch newspaper [“Abidjan: meer drama dan gif” NRC, 3 October 2006 [http://archief.nrc.nl/?modus=l&text=dtm+20061003+%26+pag+08&hit=8&set=3] ] stated that it was unlikely that the waste has actually resulted in casualties. The Dutch National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) later reported this as incorrect. No investigation was done on the waste. However, a specialist from RIVM has been sent to the Ivory Coast as a member of an UN team to investigate the situation.

The ship, the "Probo Koala", was a Panama-registered tanker chartered to the Dutch company Trafigura. Before it dumped the waste in Abidjan, it attempted to have the waste processed in Amsterdam, Netherlands, but Amsterdam Port Services BV, the company that had contracted to take the waste, refused after its staff reported an incredible smell coming from the waste. A company specialized in the disposal of chemical waste, "Afvalstoffen Terminal Moerdijk" tendered the disposal of the waste (based on the samples it received) for 500,000 Euro. The Proba Koala then left for Côte d'Ivoire where "Compaigne Tommy", which was registered only days before the arrival of the Probo Koala, was contracted for 18,500 dollars to dispose of the waste. ["Voor 15.500 euro wilde Tommy de klus wel klaren" NRC, 23 September 2006 http://www.nrc.nl/binnenland/article490554.ece]

A Dutch newspaper ["Petrochemie met de handboeken dicht" De Volkskrant, 2 October 2006 [http://www.volkskrant.nl/binnenland/article354470.ece/Petrochemie_met_de_handboeken_dicht] ] reported that 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 the water/caustic soda/gasoline mix and also the presence in trace amounts of a certain catalyst called ARI-100 EXL, generally used in this process. It would on the other hand not explain the presence of hydrogen sulphide because the final stage of the Merox process is the disulfide unless the attempt at desulfurization had failed.

Aftermath

In the aftermath of the crisis, many top government figures resigned. ["Ivorian cabinet quits over waste" [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5321272.stm bbc.co.uk Link 7 Sept 2006] ] This mass resignation has been called "unprecedented" in the Ivory Coast's history. More recently, in an effort to prevent the contamination of the food chain large numbers of livestock (among them 450 pigs) affected by the spill have been culled. ["'Toxic' pigs cull in Ivory Coast" [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6134998.stm bbc.co.uk Link 10 Nov 2006] ] Several African countries such as Nigeria refused to accept the toxic waste, yet somehow it ended up in Cote D'Ivoire during a time when the president and his wife are questionable figures there. The former president Félix Houphouët-Boigny was quoted as saying "If you let Laurent Gbagbo lead this country, Cote D'Ivoire will burn". The current president and his wife have exponentially increased their net worth in Africa and Europe and the people speculate that they accepted payment for letting the Dutch company dump this lethal waste.

On 11 November 2006, a GBP100 Million lawsuit 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." ["Ivory Coast toxic waste disaster claim issued in High Court" [http://www.leighday.co.uk/doc.asp?cat=852&doc=964 Link 17 Nov 2006] ] 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 the dumping of their waste." In response, Trafigura announced on Monday 13 November 2006 that it has started libel proceedings against British lawyer Martyn Day, of Leigh Day & Co. ["Trafigura Issue Libel Proceedings against Leigh Day & Co." [http://www.trafigura.com/trafigura_news/probo_koala_updates/131106.aspx Link 17 Nov 2006] ]

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 to offer their help. They were arrested on 18 September, four days after their arrival, and have been held in Abidjan's Maca prison since. There have been several reported attacks of the two executives. ["'Toxic waste' prisoners attacked" [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6146298.stm Link 17 Nov 2006] ] Trafigura has called for the immediate release of Mr. Dauphin and Mr. Valentini.

On December 6 2006 an independent inquiry launched by 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 unaware of existing Dutch environmental laws that would not allow its export given these circumstances. ["Onderzoekscommissie: A'dam overtrad wet met Probo Koala" De Volkskrant December 6 2006 [http://www.volkskrant.nl/buitenland/article376478.ece/Onderzoekscommissie_Adam_overtrad_wet_met_Probo_Koala Link] ] On December 19 2006, a majority of the Dutch Second Chamber expressed their desire for a new investigation into the Probo Koala. [nl icon "Mogelijk breed onderzoek naar Probo Koala" De Volkskrant 2006-12-19 [http://www.volkskrant.nl/binnenland/article380669.ece/Mogelijk_breed_onderzoek_naar_Probo_Koala Link] ] On January 8, 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. ["UK class action starts over toxic waste dumped in Africa" [http://environment.guardian.co.uk/waste/story/0,,1985026,00.html Link 8 Jan 2007] ]

On February 13 2007, the Dutch-based oil trading group Trafigura agreed to pay the Ivorian government US$198m for the clean-up of the waste; however the group denies any liability for the spill and as a part of the deal the government will not pursue further action against the group.The Trafigura employees Claude Dauphin, Jean-Pierre Valentini and Nzi Kablan, held by the Ivory Coast authorities after the incident, would now be released according to Trafigura. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6359617.stm Ivory Coast toxic clean-up offer] . BBC News February 13, 2007]

On May 18 2007, The Dutch newspaper Volkskrant reported that the press officer of Trafigura, (operating under the username "Press Office T NL"), tried to alter the Dutch Wikipedia article of the Probo Koala on three separate occasions, with intent to clear their name. The page is now locked and is not accessible for modifications. [ [http://www.volkskrant.nl/binnenland/article426613.ece/Rederij_gifschip_poogt_blazoen_te_zuiveren_op_Wikipedia Tot drie keer toe is het lemma over het gifschip Probo Koala veranderd. Tevergeefs.] . De Volkskrant May 18, 2007]

References