U.S.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood visited Suisun Bay to announce that the
Department of Transportation has surpassed its schedule for removing and
recycling obsolete ships from the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet. In 2010, the Department’s Maritime
Administration (MARAD) committed to removing 28 ships from the fleet by
September 30, 2012. To date, MARAD has
removed 36 ships, with three more vessels scheduled for removal by the end of
the year.
“Three
years ago, the Department of Transportation promised to get rid of the ships
that posed a threat to the environment, and I am proud to announce today that
we are delivering on that promise,” said Secretary LaHood. “Removing these vessels restores the beauty
of the bay and supports area jobs connected with the removal and recycling of
the ships.”
At
the beginning of the Obama Administration, the Department of Transportation
committed to taking a fresh look at the ship disposal program and the impact it
had on the environment in the Suisun Bay. The Maritime Administration worked
with local officials and environmental groups to revive stalled negotiations.
In
October 2009, MARAD developed a plan that allowed it to begin awarding
contracts to prioritize removing the most hazardous ships from the bay and
improve cleaning methods for the rest.
Out of an original fleet of 57, 21 now remain, and they will all be
removed by September 30, 2017. In recent
years, thanks to a strong scrap steel market, MARAD has sold fifteen vessels
for recycling. As required by the National Maritime Heritage Act, 25 percent of
the profit from those transactions is distributed to maritime academies around
the country.
Maritime
Administrator David Matsuda joined Secretary LaHood, local officials and
environmental groups at the event, where he emphasized the Obama
Administration’s commitment to environmental sustainability.
“Our
commitment to the environment was backed up by real action to safely remove
obsolete ships and maintain our fleet in a responsible manner,” said Administrator
Matsuda. “At the same time, we listened
to local officials and environmental interests and developed new, responsible
maintenance practices for vessels that aren’t being immediately recycled.”
The
Maritime Administration keeps ships at three National Defense Reserve Fleet
sites: the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet in California, the James River Reserve
Fleet in Virginia and the Beaumont Reserve Fleet in Texas. All three anchorages are maintained by MARAD
for national defense and national emergency purposes. When vessels are no longer useful, the
Administration disposes of them in an environmentally responsible manner. In addition to the vessels removed from the
SBRF, the Administration also removed eleven ships from the Beaumont and James
River Reserve Fleets since October 2009.
Source: The Maritime Executive. 15 October 2012
http://www.maritime-executive.com/article/u-s-transportation-secretary-visits-suisun-bay-to-celebrate-surpassing-goal-in-recycling-of-obsolete-vessels
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