Searsport Plastic Waste Spill: MDEP's April 26th repliy to Sprague letter. Spill Timeline

On April 26, 2021 Maine DEP replied to Sprague's response to the agency  about  spilling at least two and a half tons of plastic waste into  Searsport Harbor on December ,2, 2020. Below read the documents that led up to that April 26th letter from DEP to Sprague.

Searsport Plastic Waste Spill Enforcement Timeline

12/2/20  Plastic waste bales spill  while offloading from  Sider London 

1/15/21 Maine DEP  sends Sprague a Notice of Violation

2/ 27/ 21 Sprague sends MDEP four documents in reply:

 Form 03 Ship Shore Safety Inspection  *  Form 19 Dry Cargo Risk Assessment

Terminal Operations Manual 302  *  Terminal Operations Manual 306

4/26/21   Maine DEP  Replies to Sprague's response to DEP's  2021 Notice of Violation

BACKSTORY  December 2, 2020, while the vessel Sider London was offloading shredded plastic waste  at Mack Point  an unknown numbers of baled plastic waste spilled into Searsport Harbor.  The bales broke up and washed ashore on Sears Island.  It  quickly got interwoven into the seaweed wrack along the island shore.  Sprague failed to report the spill.  

A week later reporter Ethan Andrews posted photos online of  plastic washing ashore on the island. I and others contacted DEP, which visited the island, December 9th. 

 Cleanup by Sprague contractors and the public commenced and continued for a month. On Jan 15th MDEP sent  Sprague the Notice of Violation linked above.

Ending Plastic Waste exports: UK's down 83%. Germany's down 72% . USA down by only 12% .

Latest (April 30, 2021) from the Basel Action Network group fighting the shipment of plastic waste all around the world.   Megatons of useful info 

From: Basel Action Network <inform@ban.org>
Date: Fri, Apr 30, 2021 at 6:58 PM
Subject: Plastic Waste Trade Watch - April 2021

Turning back the toxic tide

Plastic Waste Trade Watch Greetings: This is the first edition of a monthly review of information from around the world on the international trade in plastic waste. It is produced by the Basel Action Network's (BAN) Plastic Waste Transparency Project. This project conducts campaigns, networking, research, and statistical analysis of the trade in plastic waste. The project publishes this newsletter summary each month, but also maintains the Plastic Waste Transparency Hub website, which serves as an overall clearinghouse for News, Data, Campaigns, and Resources. To sign up new members: Join our newsletter mailing list by clicking here. Photo of the Month Target: Indonesia. Aeshninna Azzahra (Nina) 14, of the River Warriors, a girl-power environmental organization, is displaying Target department store's bags exported from the US to Indonesia, protesting the recent plastic waste arrivals from the US. Copyright Ecoton 2021. Trade Summary Data The Basel Plastic Waste Amendments, restricting exports of plastic waste to Non-OECD countries, became effective on January 1, 2021. The United States is now the largest exporter of plastic waste to Non-OECD countries. Several exporting countries significantly reduced plastic waste exports to Non-OECD countries: U.K.: 83% Decline in monthly plastic waste exports to Non-OECD Countries from 2020 (monthly average of 9.3 million kg/month) to 1.6 million kg/month in January 2021 Germany: 73% Decline in monthly plastic waste exports to Non-OECD Countries from 2020 (monthly average of 28.3 million kg/month) to 6.1 million kg/month in January 2021 Japan: 65% Decline in monthly plastic waste exports to Non-OECD Countries from 2020 (monthly average of 62.7 million kg/month) to 22.0 million kg/month in January 2021 Two countries did not significantly reduce plastic waste exports to Non-OECD countries: Netherlands: 2% Increase in monthly plastic waste exports to Non-OECD Countries from 2020 (monthly average of 8.3 million kg/month) to 8.5 million kg/month in January 2021 United States: 12% Decline in monthly plastic waste exports to Non-OECD Countries from 2020 (monthly average of 28.4 million kg/month) to 25.1 million kg/month in January 2021 More detailed plastic waste trade information is available on The Hub. Data Chart of the Month Quotation of the Month "We are exploring ways in which we can ratify the Basel Convention without accepting the Ban Amendment."         -- Mr. John Thompson of the US State Department at a Basel Convention stakeholders briefing. Note: The US is indicating that they do not want to accept the most important achievement in the 32-year history of the Basel Convention -- the full ban on the export of hazardous wastes to developing countries. As the Convention allows no exceptions or reservations to its obligations, it appears the US once again is willing to violate international law in order to continue a policy of environmental injustice.  Graphic of the Month Videos of the Month The Story of Plastic - Short Version Plastics: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) Waste Trade Protest Indonesia by River Warrior Key Campaign Updates Call for US to Ratify Basel Convention: More than 100 organizations have signed a letter asking President Biden to press for full Ratification of the Basel Convention, consistent with the Administration's Environmental Justice Policy. Sign ons are being asked for until May 10. The letter will be mailed on the 13th. To view the letter and sign on, please visit the sign on form here. Call for Italy to Take Back Household Waste They Dumped in Tunisia: Organizations are now signing onto a letter directed to the Italian government and the European Commission to return the 280 containers full of Italian waste illegally exported to Tunisia. You can still sign on here until May 3. Data shows that US Exporters Continue their Criminal Trafficking in Waste: As reported in the New York Times, BAN found that US exporters continued in January to maintain their high export rates of plastic wastes to developing countries. Exports to Malaysia actually increased. This continued trade took place despite the fact that after January 1, because of the new Basel rules, it is illegal for the Basel Parties to receive them, to import from the US (a non-Party). BAN highlighted three suspect loads which were on ships steaming towards Malaysia, India, and Indonesia and warned the Basel competent authorities in the three countries. Upon arrival, Malaysia found the shipment to be legal but returned 300 of other seized containers of plastic waste -- allegedly to the country of origin. Indonesia returned one of 6 containers from the same exporter due to contamination, and India, which supposedly has banned imports of plastic waste, took no action whatsoever. EU Waste Trade Manifesto Published: NGOs working to ensure the European Union's newly revised Waste Shipment Regulation will be far more strict with respect to exports of plastic waste have issued the waste trade manifesto and are seeking sign-ons to it from organizations and Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). So far, 31 MEPs have signed on.  Also in the News Germany and other EU Countries Dumping Waste in Romania: Romania has recently become a dumping ground for plastic waste, e-waste, and household garbage, illegally exported to them. Recent discoveries of illegal waste shipments in Romania have originated in Italy, Portugal, the UK, and Belgium, and Germany, and all of these instances occurred in less than a month. The Romanian Minister of the Environment claims that these illegal shipments were facilitated by organized criminals and that all shipments entering the country must now be scanned to prevent more illegal traffic. Once in the country, this waste ends up in illegal dumps in villages of marginalized Roma gypsies. Lacking educational, financial, and infrastructural resources, these communities eke out a living extracting metals, and burning what is left -- pushing air quality to dangerous levels. Interpol Releases Report Revealing 130 illegal exports in just 30 Days: A new Interpol Marine pollution survey involving 67 member countries and making over 34,000 inspections on land and on sea, have found 130 instances of illegal waste trafficking.   New Studies and Reports -- Malaysia Waste Imports Report -- Italy to Tunisia Dumping Report -- EU Waste Export Report from Eurostat -- Interpol 30 Days at Sea Report Upcoming Events June 12 - 14 -- 2nd Meeting of the Basel Convention Plastic Waste Partnership Plastic Waste Transparency Project ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌