Three inland vessels with a toxic cargo of grain from Poland are not allowed to degas their cargo in Flevoland. They had sailed there on behalf of and under the supervision of Rijkswaterstaat. But the provincial government does not grant a permit to vaporize the gases.
The inland vessels Coby, Imatra and Semper Spera have been chained since last Tuesday in Utrecht, Zwolle and Veghel respectively. Concentrations that were too high phosphine discovered in a batch of grain from Poland, who had been transferred to the ships from a train in Oss. The wheat was on its way to animal feed company De Heus Voeders.
In one measurement, 300 to 400 phosphine particles per unit were found. Phosphine is a phosphorus compound that is added to cargo to combat pests, but is deadly already in low concentrations. The substance is dangerous from a concentration of 0.5 parts per unit.
headaches
The ships – or at least the contents – give headaches, because there is still no solution after more than a week of haggling. Previously, the parties involved could not agree. The ships were supposed to divert to Amsterdam, but there they were refused. A plan to move to Nieuwegein also fell through.
Local residents have already made themselves to care about ‘the poison ships’. That is why all parties were happy that a new plan had been devised. The ships would sail to IJsseloog, an artificial island in the Ketelmeer south of the Noordoostpolder. There, the poisonous cargo of grain would be transferred to another ship, causing the gas to dissipate. Rijkswaterstaat applied for a one-time permit for this, but it will not be granted.
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