As they reported, the condition of the aircraft carrier is so bad that at some point, it would “inevitably” sink on its own.
Brazilian authorities have decided to sink in the Atlantic Ocean the old aircraft carrier Foch, once a jewel of the French Navy, which was sold in 2000 to the Brazilian armed forces but has been wandering the sea for months, looking for a port to receive it.
“Due to the risks involved in towing it and due to the deterioration of its condition (…) the only solution is to abandon it, with a controlled sinking” explained the Navy and the Ministry of Defense of Brazil.
As they reported, the condition of the aircraft carrier is so bad that at some point, it would “inevitably” sink on its own.
This decision, however, is causing backlash since the aging 266-meter-long ship is full of asbestos, dyes and other toxic waste, according to several environmental organizations.
Two weeks ago, the Navy announced it had towed the aircraft carrier in the Atlantic, 315 kilometers off the coast of Brazil. Due to its condition and the “high risk” it posed to the environment, the Brazilian authorities did not allow its docking, or even its return to the country’s territorial waters.
Many non-governmental organizations complained that Brazil would commit an “environmental crime”. The “Robin of the Woods” organization even described the old aircraft carrier as a “toxic package weighing 30,000 tons”.
The Foch was built in the late 1950s at the Saint-Nazaire shipyard in western France and for 37 years was in the service of the French Navy. In 2000 it was bought by Brazil which renamed it Sao Paulo.
RES-EMP
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