Brazilian aircraft carrier has been floating on the world’s oceans for months – now it is threatened with an abrupt end Beaten and booed: Tourist climbs on sacred Mayan temple

Jair Bolsonaro is history as Brazil’s president. And while the right-wing conservative, known for his anti-environmental policies—deforestation of the Amazon rainforest reached record levels under his rule—has nothing left to say, Brazil is now threatened with another potential environmental debacle: it is about the sinking of a giant aircraft carrier ready for scrap.

The sad story of «Sao Paulo»

Weighing 34,000 tons, more than 260 meters long: the “São Paulo”, as the aircraft carrier is called, has gigantic dimensions. But 60 years after its commissioning, the ship has also had an equally impressive age – and has therefore had its day. That is why the Brazilian Navy sold the warship to a shipyard in Turkey in 2021, US news magazine “Time” reports. There it should have been demolished in the right way.

However, it didn’t get that far. During the crossing to European waters in August 2022, Turkey revoked the ship’s berth permit. The reason: the Brazilian ex-owners could not prove that the “São Paulo” is asbestos-free. Asbestos is a toxic material that can enter the lungs and cause cancer. Asbestos was also used in the construction of houses in Switzerland until 1989 and is therefore a contaminated site that is hazardous to health.

Asbestos was also used without hesitation for a long time in the construction of ships – possibly also in the construction of the “São Paulo”, as the Turkish authorities fear in any case. Because they did not want the potential health risk – asbestos is usually only released when a part is damaged, for example if it is demolished – in the country, the ship has returned. But: Brazil does not want the old-timer marine back either. The “São Paulo” was not allowed to dock in any Brazilian port.

Thus began a month-long odyssey off the Brazilian coast for the ship. Until Jan. 20, when the Brazilian Navy declared it was forced to pull the ship into international waters — during the months of chugging along the coast, the ship’s hull had suffered damage and the carrier could have run ashore or aground. even sank. To avert the danger to other boats and the flora and fauna near the coast, the ship was pulled into international territory.

Now the ship no one wants is drifting aimlessly somewhere in the South Atlantic.

The solution proposed by the Brazilian Navy

What’s next? Nobody knows for sure. Clear statements from the Brazilian authorities have so far been sought in vain. The Brazilian newspaper Folha de São Paulo, drawing on military sources, reported that sinking the ship in the depths of the ocean was the only way to end the bickering over the aircraft carrier.

In many places, sinking decommissioned ships or abandoning them to their fate on a deserted coast is still a common method of getting rid of contaminated sites that are no longer desirable. According to “Time”, tens of thousands of ships are still being disposed of this way. However, these are generally much smaller than in the current example of the Brazilian aircraft carrier.

What environmental organizations say about it

According to the Basel Action Network (BAN), a US NGO campaigning against the disposal of toxic waste in nature (the name refers to the Basler 1989 United Nations Convention to Restrict Trade in Toxic Waste).

According to BAN estimates, the “São Paulo” contains thousands of tons of asbestos, as well as huge amounts of other toxic substances such as electrical wiring, non-degradable paint, and gasoline and oil deposits. According to Jim Puckett, general manager of BAN, it would be grossly negligent to leave the “São Paulo” to the ocean.« We are talking about a ship that contains both dangerous and valuable materials – it must be brought into Brazilian territory and managed in an environmentally sound manner,” says Puckett. According to the NGO, sinking the ship in a targeted manner would also violate various environmental conventions. Puckett: “You can’t just sink it.”

The NGO calls on the new Brazilian president Lula, who is much more environmentally friendly than his predecessor Bolsonaro, to intervene. He must ensure that the ship can enter a Brazilian port, be repaired there and eventually offered to other shipyards in Europe, who can safely remove the asbestos and scrap the ship.

However, according to Time magazine, this scenario is rather unlikely – Lula’s relationship with the Brazilian army is known to be not the best and fragile, especially after the demands of Bolsonaro supporters for a military coup. Since the army would be in favor of sinking the ship, the question is whether Lula sees herself in a position to oppose the project and confront the army.