India - Despite vigorous protests and numerous feature stories highlighting the problems of India's shipyards, India's Supreme Court will allow the scrapping of the Blue Lady/S.S. Norway.
The ship which was originally used for cargo was purchased and later served as a cruise ship for Carnival Cruise Lines before a 2002 boiler explosion killed 7 and left the ship in a state of flux.
For years the vessel sat idle before being towed to India to be scrapped. It waited for months just off the coast of the Alang shipyard as environmentalists protested the demolition.
The ship is thought to contain thousands of tonnes of asbestos, lead, and PCBs. The workers removing these substances would not have any protection compared to US/UK workers who would be wearing almost armor like suits.
In the end, whats the cost of losing a number of lives when you can make so much money off scrap metal and materials. Thats not my point of view but ultimately thats how it ended.
