Many decommissioned Navy ships waiting to be towed to Texas are toxic threats

Article Added May 19th, 2006 - Print This Story - Bookmark This Story

The U.S. Maritime administration has its hands full with hundreds of Navy ships that are waiting to be scrapped. Government officials and environmentalists alike are concerned about the hazardous materials contained on these Navy vessels including asbestos, lead paint and mercury, to name a few. The ships of concern are currently in Suisun Bay, CA.

There are numerous reasons for the delays in scrapping the ships. Over the years, missed congressional deadlines and insufficient funding have added to the delays. Additionally, other shipyards have been given higher priority than the California Suisun Bay shipyard citing that the ships in Virginia's James River are in much worse condition. Currently, there are approximately 77 Navy vessels in the California bay. A major concern of environmentalists is that the costs of maintaining the ships in Suisun Bay is less expensive than scrapping the ships, providing even less incentive to scrap the ships. The ships have decayed so much, that it sometimes costs more than $1 million to make the ships seaworthy enough to survive the 45-day, 5000-mile tow to the Texas scrapyards. The administration budgeted only $1.2 million to maintain the whole fleet of ships in California.

There have been conflicting reports of the CA ships’ health. The US Maritime Administration and other bureaucrats insisted that none of the ships in California waters is weak. Conversely, the U.S. Department of Transportation determined 6 years ago that ships were “an immediate environmental threat.” In addition, the administration has delayed the release of important hull data to engineering firm, Knight Ridder. The unrevealed data is critical in assessing many of the risks of the ships and other safety factors.

Article Added May 19th, 2006 - Print This Story - Bookmark This Story

Looking for a Texas Mesothelioma Lawyer? Click Here.
"Our experienced team of mesothelioma attorneys is dedicated to recovering the just compensation that our clients deserve. We help mesothelioma victims around the country and work hard to provide each and every one with individual attention."

- Ron Eddins, Founding Partner
View archived Asbestos and Mesothelioma articles below:

 
Name:


Address:


City, State Zip:


Email:


Home Phone:


Second Phone:


Injured's Name:


Diagnosis:


Additional Info:


Would you like to receive a Free copy of our Mesothelioma Informational Packet?
Yes No