Scientology cruise ship to be cleaned of asbestos

Curacao, Netherlands Antilles â€" A team from the U.S. has arrived in The Netherlands to clean up the Scientology cruise ship, the MV Freewinds, which was found last week to contain large amounts of Crocidolite, otherwise known as blue asbestos. The arrival of the clean-up team was reported by Amigoe, the longest-running daily news publication in Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles. According to reports by the Amigoe, the ship, which is owned by the Church of Scientology under the name “’Majestic Cruise Lines,” is still docked, as it has been since last week. The Curacao Drydock Company was contracted to carry out refurbishment and repairs on the ship when it docked in the first week of May, however the company had to cease work due to the risk of asbestos exposure. Large amounts of Crocidolite were found to be present onboard the ship, and a statement from the vessel’s captain indicated that there has been more than one prior incident where asbestos was released into the ship’s onboard ventilation system. The release of asbestos in a ventilation system could potentially have resulted in asbestos exposure for everyone on board the cruise ship. Several officials, including deputy head of the Department of Labor Affairs Christiene van der Biezen and local health department head Tico Ras, inspected the ship and took samples from paneling that was found to contain significant amounts of blue asbestos. The Executive Council held a meeting and decided that informing the public would be the best way to avoid rumors and other problems. Online magazine Radar reported hearing from a Scientology spokesperson, who said that the ship hadn’t been sealed and was simply undergoing a planned overhaul. The spokesperson also said that the cruise ship was safe and had passed air quality tests on April 15 and April 28. Other reports claim that allegations about the presence of asbestos onboard the ship had been made several years ago. Some say that Lawrence Woodcraft, an architect and former Scientologist, had filed an affidavit claiming that he encountered blue asbestos on the ship in 1987â€"more than twenty years agoâ€"and had informed Scientology leaders at the time, but nothing had been done. According to the Amigoe newspaper reports, the cruise ship was supposed to release status reports last week, but did not do so. Several agencies have suggested that anyone who has ever spent time aboard the Freewinds cruise ship should consider seeing their doctor to determine if asbestos exposure has done any damage to their health. (Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News)