‘Ghost Fleet’ Ships to Be Recycled

The U.S. Maritime Administration announced on Monday that it has awarded contracts to recycle the rescue ship Escape and the destroyer tender Cape Cod. The two ships are a part of the James River Reserve Fleet, also dubbed the “Ghost Fleet,” in Newport News, Va.

According to The Associated Press, Bay Bridge Enterprises LLC of Chesapeake, Va. will receive $115,200 to recycle the Escape, which was built in 1942. All Star Metal LLC of Brownsville, Texas will receive $328,122 to recycle the 643-foot-long Cape Cod, built in 1980.

Congresswoman Jo Ann Davis, who secured $20 million to remove a portion of the James River Reserve Fleet, called it a "constant threat to the Peninsula area." Photo: Flickr/Whatman75

Due to the threat of contamination through leakage of waste fuels, asbestos, mercury and other toxic materials, the Maritime Administration is under a congressional mandate to recycle and safely dispose of all derelict ships in three reserve fleets in Virginia, Texas and California, according to The Virginian-Pilot.

Since 2001, the Maritime Administration has sent more than 80 defunct ships to salvage yards or converted them into artificial reefs to rehabilitate endangered coral reefs. The two ships will be the 83rd and 84th ships to be recycled.

The National Defense Reserve Fleet is an inactive source of ships that could be activated within 20-120 days to meet shipping requirements for emergencies, according to GlobalSecurity.org.

Ship recycling is a highly discussed topic around the world. In a week-long meeting that began May 11 in Hong Kong, governments gathered to determine measures to make ship recycling safer and more environmentally friendly. The conference, led by the International Maritime Organization, is aimed at developing an international convention on the recycling of ships.