France’s highest court halted the final voyage of the Clemenceau because

The French President Jacque Chirac has ordered the return to port of a decommissioned aircraft carrier after the highest court in France halted its final voyage to an Indian scrap yard. Environmental groups including Greenpeace say that asbestos on board the ship the Clemenceau will be a health hazard to any workers involved in dismantling it. The Clemenceau has proved a toxic headache for France, with this just the latest chapter in a series of embarrassments. Now, France’s highest court has issued a ruling, ordering the transfer to be suspended and President Chirac has agreed that the Clemenceau should return to France until a definitive solution is found. The issue had already begun to overshadow his visit to India due at the end of this week. The French President is also ordering test to discover exactly how much asbestos is still on board.