Safe Removal of Hazardous Materials

Safe removal of hazardous materials identifies, handles, transports, and disposes of hazardous substances safely to prevent environmental contamination and human exposure (IMO, 2009/2025; Secretariat of the Basel Convention, 1989/2025). This may include, among others, removal of asbestos containing materials, decommissioning of fuel tanks and pipelines, safe disposal of chemicals, oils, and contaminated equipment, management of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), lead paint, and refrigerants, and use of licensed hazardous waste contractors.

For DMC ports, safe removal of hazardous materials can prevent soil and water contamination, protect worker and community health, reduce long term environmental liabilities, help ensure regulatory compliance, and support safe redevelopment of sites.

Port decommissioning may encounter hazardous materials including, among others, asbestos insulation in older buildings and equipment, lead paint on steel structures, PCBs in older electrical transformers and capacitors, petroleum contamination around fuel storage and transfer infrastructure, refrigerants in older cooling systems, heavy metals in cargo residues, and tributyltin residues from historical antifouling paint application. Identification and safe removal of these materials is essential to prevent exposure during and after decommissioning.

Fuel tank and pipeline decommissioning requires specific expertise given fire, explosion, and environmental risks. Procedures typically include, among others, draining residual product, inert gas purging to eliminate explosive atmospheres, decontamination of tank interiors, structural removal, and disposal of contaminated materials. The International Safety Guide for Oil Tankers and Terminals (ISGOTT) provides industry safety guidance for oil tanker and terminal operations (ICS, OCIMF and IAPH, 2020).

Ship recycling at ports raises particular hazardous materials concerns. The IMO Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, which entered into force on 26 June 2025, establishes international standards for ship recycling including Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM) requirements and authorized ship recycling facility standards (IMO, 2009/2025).

The European Union Ship Recycling Regulation (EU 1257/2013) applies additional requirements for European Union flagged vessels, and its hazardous materials inventory requirements also apply to non-European Union flagged ships calling at European Union ports (European Parliament and Council of the European Union, 2013).

The Basel Convention, under which a ship may become waste, governs transboundary movements of hazardous wastes (Secretariat of the Basel Convention, 1989/2025). The NGO Shipbreaking Platform documents practices at major ship recycling locations, particularly in South Asia (NGO Shipbreaking Platform, 2025).

Research at Chattogram, Bangladesh, has assessed the livelihoods and occupational health hazards of ship-breaking workers (Ahamad et al., 2021). India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, all DMCs, accounted for approximately 70% of the global ship recycling market according to 2010 statistics (Secretariat of the Basel Convention, n.d.), and port activities involving end of life vessels, crew return, and potential transit of vessels destined for recycling bring DMC ports into contact with ship recycling governance frameworks.