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Off the subject: Plan Is Announced to Clean and Scrap Warships

Posted by Dick on 10/23/2009, 8:22 am
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Plan Is Announced to Clean and Scrap Warships

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS via The New York Times
Published: October 22, 2009
BENICIA, Calif. (AP) — A fleet of old, rotting warships shedding toxic paint into the water near San Francisco Bay will be cleaned up and recycled under a new plan announced by federal officials on Thursday.

John Porcari, the deputy secretary of transportation, said the government had already awarded contracts to dispose of two World War II-era cargo ships from the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet.

The group of more than 70 mostly obsolete vessels in Suisun Bay, about 25 miles northeast of San Francisco, has been at the center of a deadlock of nearly three years between state water regulators and the federal government, which manages the fleet.

Mr. Porcari said the ships would be cleaned in dry dock, not the bay, alleviating state officials’ concerns about more pollution.

“This is definitely big,” said Bruce H. Wolfe, executive officer of the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board. “This is the start.”

A Congressional order set a 2006 deadline to scrap more than 50 of the ships, but a regulatory quagmire has kept them in place.

A lack of disposal operations on the West Coast means the ships must be towed to Texas to be broken apart. Under federal law, they must be cleaned of invasive species clinging to their hulls before they can enter the ocean.

California officials fought a Bush administration plan to clean the ships where they were anchored, arguing that the process would cause paint laden with heavy metals to flake into the bay. They also filed suit against the federal government, claiming the paint flaking off the ships as they idle put the fleet in violation of the federal Clean Water Act.

Mr. Wolfe said the state would continue to press its suit until a settlement or court order put legal force behind the government’s commitment to get rid of all ships awaiting disposal.

Message Thread:

Off the subject: Plan Is Announced to Clean and Scrap Warships - Dick 10/23/2009, 8:22 am
- Battleship Iowa BB-61 mentioned in final paragraph - Dick 10/23/2009, 12:19 pm
- Re: Off the subject: Plan Is Announced to Clean and Scrap Warships - Scott 10/23/2009, 10:21 am
- Re: Fate of the ships in California - David K. Haynes 10/23/2009, 9:36 am
  - Re: Fate of the ships in California - Paul 10/23/2009, 3:32 pm
  - It would be as shameful for the US as it is for .. - jeff 10/23/2009, 2:36 pm
    - Seriously? - Paul 10/23/2009, 3:28 pm
      - Re: Seriously? - Roger Dawson 10/24/2009, 12:43 pm
        
        British battleship preservation - Bob Z 10/26/2009, 2:23 pm
        
        Re: British battleship preservation - Paul 10/26/2009, 3:03 pm
        
        Re: British battleship preservation - Bob Z 10/28/2009, 1:39 pm
      - Agreed - George Elder 10/24/2009, 3:25 am
      - Yes n/t - jeff 10/24/2009, 2:40 am
        
        Because? - Paul 10/24/2009, 3:27 pm
        
        Yes... - jeff 10/25/2009, 2:37 am
        
        Re: Yes... - Paul 10/25/2009, 8:28 am
        
        Re: Yes... - Steve T 10/26/2009, 4:02 pm
      - ...while the SS United States is still not secure. n/t - Don T 10/24/2009, 12:06 am
        
        Re: ...while the SS United States is still not secure. n/t - Bob Weymouth 10/24/2009, 6:31 am
        
        SS United States is a lost cause - Paul 10/24/2009, 7:56 am
        
        Re: SS United States is a lost cause - walt slocombe 10/25/2009, 7:10 am
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--Previous Message-- : Plan Is Announced to Clean and Scrap Warships : : By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS via The New York : Times : Published: October 22, 2009 : BENICIA, Calif. (AP) — A fleet of old, : rotting warships shedding toxic paint into : the water near San Francisco Bay will be : cleaned up and recycled under a new plan : announced by federal officials on Thursday. : : John Porcari, the deputy secretary of : transportation, said the government had : already awarded contracts to dispose of two : World War II-era cargo ships from the Suisun : Bay Reserve Fleet. : : The group of more than 70 mostly obsolete : vessels in Suisun Bay, about 25 miles : northeast of San Francisco, has been at the : center of a deadlock of nearly three years : between state water regulators and the : federal government, which manages the fleet. : : Mr. Porcari said the ships would be cleaned : in dry dock, not the bay, alleviating state : officials’ concerns about more pollution. : : “This is definitely big,” said Bruce H. : Wolfe, executive officer of the San : Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control : Board. “This is the start.” : : A Congressional order set a 2006 deadline to : scrap more than 50 of the ships, but a : regulatory quagmire has kept them in place. : : A lack of disposal operations on the West : Coast means the ships must be towed to Texas : to be broken apart. Under federal law, they : must be cleaned of invasive species clinging : to their hulls before they can enter the : ocean. : : California officials fought a Bush : administration plan to clean the ships where : they were anchored, arguing that the process : would cause paint laden with heavy metals to : flake into the bay. They also filed suit : against the federal government, claiming the : paint flaking off the ships as they idle put : the fleet in violation of the federal Clean : Water Act. : : Mr. Wolfe said the state would continue to : press its suit until a settlement or court : order put legal force behind the : government’s commitment to get rid of all : ships awaiting disposal. : :

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