[CPEO-MEF] Suisun Bay (CA) mothball fleet

[Lenny Siegel <lennysiegel@gmail.com>]

Fleet foes steer collision course
State, federal agencies are still at odds over environmental concerns 
with decrepit ships off Suisun Bay

By Thomas Peele
Contra Costa Times (CA)
August 15, 2007

A confrontation between state and federal agencies is brewing as the 
U.S. Maritime Administration prepares to tow out to sea four decrepit 
ships anchored in Suisun Bay, and state clean water regulators consider 
stopping it unless pollution concerns are addressed.

The ships are part of the decaying "Mothball Fleet" of 74 vessels east 
of the Benicia bridge that are harboring organic growth on their hulls 
under water and tons of toxic, peeling paint on their structures above 
the waterline.

The Maritime Administration wants to clean the underwater portions of 
the hulls in Alameda, and then tow the ships to Texas, where they will 
be cut up for scrap. The San Francisco Bay Area Water Quality Control 
Board wants assurances that the hull cleaning will not pollute the 
water, and insists that the Maritime Administration clean the toxic 
paint above the waterline before the vessels are moved.

"We can't be put in a situation where we know (the vessels are) 
discharging paint into the water. They will have to take the worst of it 
off," David Elias, an engineering geologist with the water quality 
control board, said Monday.

...

For the entire article, see
http://www.contracostatimes.com/search/ci_6628064?nclick_check=1

--


Lenny Siegel
Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
c/o PSC, 278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
<lsiegel@cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org

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