Press Releases - MARAD

JAMES RIVER RESERVE FLEET SHIPS CALOOSAHATCHEE AND CANISTEO ARRIVE AT THEIR INTENDED DESTINATION
13/11/03

The Caloosahatchee safely arrived at the AbleUK’s facility in Teesside, England yesterday and the Canisteo is expected to arrive today. Both ships will be stored and secured at AbleUK until the outstanding issues raised by the United Kingdom’s Environment Agency are fully addressed.

SAFETY
Prior to the ships’ departure, all four ships underwent a series of required surveys by regulatory agencies and highly reputable private-sector authorities in the United States and the United Kingdom in order to ensure the highest levels of safety during a one-way transatlantic tow. Despite claims from critics that the ships were destined for break-up during the approximate 4,000 nautical mile Atlantic tow, the safe arrival of Caloosahatchee and Canisteo underscores the point that these vessels were indeed seaworthy and safe for a transatlantic voyage to a safe harbor.

SHIPS’ CONTENTS
The Caloosahatchee and Canisteo are not in any danger of sinking, nor do they pose an immediate threat to the environment. Most of the ships’ hazardous materials on-board are contained in the ships’ structure as part of the vessel construction. These materials are solid materials that are not loose on the ships and are common to any ship built during the same time period of these vessels. The residual oils on-board the ships are in quantities substantially less than what any operating vessel would contain. Approximately 98% of the ship can be recycled.

DISMANTLING CONTRACTS IN THE UNITED STATES
The U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) has utilized domestic capacity to the maximum extent practicable and has contracts with four American companies located in Texas and Virginia to dismantle and recycle eight obsolete ships belonging to the James River Reserve Fleet. Another ship from the James River was dismantled earlier this year in Texas. The Government hopes to award more domestic contracts before the end of the year in order to continue reducing the number of obsolete ships in its National Defense Reserve Fleet inventory. MARAD is operating under a statutory deadline of 2006 to eliminate all obsolete ships from its fleet sites.

APPROVALS AND PERMITS
The Caloosahatchee and the Canisteo set sail on October 6 from the James River Reserve Fleet and left with all proper international permits and approvals in place. Prior to the ships’ departure, MARAD sought and received official approvals from the U.K. Environment Agency, the U.K. Maritime Coastguard Agency, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard. Without these official approvals in hand, these ships would not have departed their James River moorings. The U.S. Maritime Administration is committed to working with all its public and private sector partners in the United States and United Kingdom to ensure the safe and responsible recycling of retired ships belonging to the James River Reserve Fleet.

CURRENT STATUS
Maritime Administrator Captain William G. Schubert stated, “We are encouraged by the decision to allow the first two ships to enter Hartlepool, their original destination, for safekeeping. On the question of the status of the ships, whether they would stay in Hartlepool temporarily or permanently, we believe that has not been decided yet and until that question is fully resolved, we remain committed to the AbleUK contract.”

Appropriate authorities in the United States and the United Kingdom are working together to ensure the safe and responsible transit of the third and fourth ships currently transiting the Atlantic. These two ships departed the James River on October 16, 2003 and are contracted to be dismantled and recycled at AbleUK.

Schubert concluded, “I am confident that all the government agencies involved, here and abroad, will determine a responsible and effective solution to the outstanding issues raised in the U.K.”

<< back