World Trade Center scrap lands in India.

• Author: Jayaraman, Nityanand

It might seem like a tangent to the tragedy of the September 11 attacks: the fate of the thousands of tons of steel that formed the twin towers. As with so many other unwanted materials from the US, more than 30,000 tons of steel scrap--possibly contaminated with asbestos, PCBs, cadmium, mercury and dioxins--has been exported to India and other parts of Asia.

At least one shipload, on board a vessel named Brozna, landed in the South Indian port city of Chennai in early January 2002. The scrap was unloaded, as any routine consignment would be, by port workers with absolutely no protection.

Two other ships, Shen Quan Hai and Pindos, also reported to be carrying World Trade Center scrap, berthed and off-loaded their cargo in Chennai. But preliminary investigations failed to reveal documentation linking the cargo to the Trade Center. Reports are vague about another shipment making its way into Northern India through the Western port city of Kandla.

Similar shipments have reportedly reached China, where Baosteel Group purchased 50,000 tons of the potentially toxic scrap. Malaysia and South Korea are also reported to have received shipments. Eventually, most of the 1.5 million tons of scrap from the clean-up may end up dirtying Asian ports and threatening Asian workers.

Few details are known about who purchased the scrap, but an unidentified Indian trader reportedly bought an undisclosed amount of the World Trade Center debris, and the 33,000 ton shipment on board the Brozna was collected by Chennai-based Sabari Exim Pvt. Ltd. and removed to the company's facilities outside the city.

Nor are the names of US-based traders who may have exported the shipments to India known. However, two New Jersey companies were among the bidders that won the contract for removing more than 60,000 tons of Trade Center scrap.

New Jersey-based Metal Management Northeast bought 40,000 tons and Hugo Neu Schnitzer, based outside Jersey City, bought 25,000 tons. Schnitzer was reportedly eyeing the Southeast Asian markets, possibly Malaysia, where prices are higher.

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