Ghost fleet to leave Suisun Bay

Ghost fleet to leave Suisun Bay    The U.S. Justice Department and Department of Transportation said Wednesday that 52 ships moored in the reserve fleet in Suisun Bay will be removed as part of an agreement with environmental groups that was filed in federal court in Sacramento, Calif.
   The U.S. Maritime Administration has removed five ships since November 2009, including one Wednesday, and has committed to remove 20 of the ships from the so-called “ghost fleet” that are in the poorest condition prior to Sept. 30, 2012.
   Before their removal, these ships will be sent to a local dry dock for cleaning to remove marine growth from the underwater hull and flaking paint from areas above the water. All other ships at the site will be cleaned of flaking paint within two years and removed from the fleet by Sept. 30, 2017.
   Additionally, MarAd will clean the horizontal surfaces of the ships every 90 days to prevent peeling paint from dropping into the water, inspect the ships on a monthly and quarterly basis and collect water runoff samples for testing. No new ships with excess flaking will be admitted to the site.
   'This agreement reflects the Obama administration's pledge to work with our local partners toward a common goal of better protecting the environment,' said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood
   Suisun Bay is one of three sites that hold ships in reserve for national defense and national emergency purposes. Reserve ships will continue to be maintained at MarAd's two other fleet storage sites in James River, Va., and Beaumont, Texas.
   Images of the site may be found here and here. ' Chris Dupin