[CPEO-MEF] 15 Ghost Fleet ships headed to England

[CPEO Moderator <cpeo@cpeo.org>]

Virginia
THE VIRGINIA-PILOT
15 Ghost Fleet ships headed to England
By Dale Eisman
July 29, 2003

WASHINGTON -- Fifteen rusting and potentially hazardous ships in the
James River Reserve Fleet, also known as the Ghost Fleet, could be
headed within weeks to a salvage yard in England under terms of a $17.8
million deal announced Monday by federal authorities.

The U.S. Maritime Administration said it has contracted with
Post-service Remediation Partners, a New York firm that will have 13 of
the dilapidated ships towed to Teesside, England, to be scrapped. The
Maritime Administration will pay $14.8 million for the towing and
disposal.

As part of the deal, Post-service Remediation also will assume ownership
of a pair of Navy oilers, the Benjamin Isherwood and the Henry Eckford,
purchased in the 1980s but never completed; the firm apparently intends
to refurbish these ships, now valued at $3 million, in Teesside and then
offer them for sale overseas.

Ten of the ships to be moved and scrapped are considered among the most
fragile and dangerous in the ghost fleet, a collection of nearly 100
former transports and warships moored off Newport News for decades. The
ships contain nearly 12 million gallons of fuel along with a variety of
toxins, including lead paint and asbestos.

``The removal of these ships presents a significant step forward to rid
all the hazardous ships from the James River,'' said Rep. JoAnn Davis,
R-1st District, who has helped spearhead efforts to move the collection
of retired ships.

This article can be viewed at:
http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=57622&ran=73394

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CPEO: A DECADE OF SUCCESS.  Your generous support will ensure that our important work on military and environmental issues will continue.  Please consider one of our donation options.  Thank you.
www.groundspring.org/donate/index.cfm?ID=2086-0|721-0