Minister of Environment Mahinda Amaraweera says a Cabinet Paper will be tabled in order to regulate the process surrounding the disposal of sludge oil in Sri Lanka by ships entering Lankan waters.
The Environment Ministry said the Cabinet Paper is likely to be tabled during the next week’s meeting.
The Ministry aims to create a programme to dispose sludge from ships in an environmentally-friendly manner which will also help the country secure substantial foreign exchange.
The Ministry said nearly 20,000 tonnes of sludge is illegally disposed to the environment annually by ships docking at Sri Lankan ports, posing serious environmental risks.
The Ministry said 27 individuals and companies have been issued permits, to dispose sludge oil from ships in Sri Lanka.
The Ministry said through the new process, the government will be able to earn foreign exchange while specific groups will be able to dispose furnace oil from ships in an environmentally-friendly manner.
