[CPEO-MEF] High-risk ships from ghost fleet to be removed

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Virginia
HAMPTON ROADS DAILY PRESS
High-risk ships from ghost fleet to be removed
Plans in place for at least 18
By Dave Schleck
July 8, 2003

FORT EUSTIS -- The head of the Maritime Administration announced Monday
that he has the plans and the money to remove at least 18 ships from the
James River Reserve Fleet by the end of the year.

If successful, it will be the largest batch of ships removed from the
fleet since 1993.

"It will be very challenging, to say the least," said William Schubert,
MARAD administrator. He delivered the news at a meeting of local, state
and federal officials convened by Sen. George Allen at the Fort Eustis
Transportation Museum, not far from where the 97 idle ships float in the
James River.

In all, 21 high-priority vessels could go to foreign and domestic
shipyards for disposal this year, Schubert said. Generally speaking,
MARAD designates ships as "high priority" when their hulls are in poor
condition.

The reserve ships contain contaminants such as asbestos, mercury and a
total of 7.7 million gallons of oil and fuel. According to a federal
study, if just two of the ships began leaking, they could endanger 50
miles of James River shoreline within a 48-hour period. There have been
nine fuel spills from the ships in the past three years.

This article can be viewed at:
http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-37412sy0jul08,0,4465165.story?coll=dp-headlines-topnews

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