Re: [CPEO-MEF] SHIPS: Suisun Bay (CA) ghost fleet

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

Another take on the same report ...



Mothball fleet's flaking paint taints shellfish

Jim Doyle
San Francisco Chronicle
March 13, 2009


Federal scientists have concluded that the mothball fleet of 
rust-forsaken ships in Suisun Bay has contaminated shellfish and bay mud 
with toxic heavy metals, but they are not proposing any specific cleanup 
actions.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a study 
Thursday that found hazardous materials such as lead and zinc were at 
low to medium levels for toxicity to shellfish near the reserve defense 
ships.

The study determined that most of the heavy metals are at concentration 
levels comparable to other parts of San Francisco Bay, which has been 
compromised by years of pollution from urban runoff, factories, sewage 
plants and shipping.

Rob Ricker, a NOAA regional manager, said that flaking paint from the 70 
or so decommissioned ships of the National Defense Reserve Fleet was the 
most likely source of heavy metals and other toxic chemicals found in 
bay sediments in close proximity to the mothballed fleet. The paint 
often contains lead, zinc, copper and other toxic materials such as PCBs.


...

For the entire article, see
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/12/BAG616EDCL.DTL

--


Lenny Siegel
Executive Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
a project of the Pacific Studies Center
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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