In California, rusting U.S. navy ships that were poisoning bay waters for decades are being cleaned up, moved and recycled - thanks to a legal victory by local environmental groups.

It’s clear that the health risks from a fleet of decrepit U.S. navy troop ships and tankers, moored for nearly half a century in the shallow backwaters of San Francisco Bay, are being taken seriously at last. Before I am allowed to board any of the rusty warships - which have been oozing oil, asbestos, dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and tonnes of heavy metals into the upper part of the bay for decades - U.S. officials insist that I sign a liability waiver. Afterward, they warn me not to touch my eyes or consume any food until I undergo a thorough scrub…

It’s a lesson for other countries, too: concerned citizens can bring pressure to bear on their governments and safeguard the sea through the courts.“

Read Full Article: Giving Up the Ghost Ships: Suisun Bay’s Mothball Fleet
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jan-mcgirk/giving-up-the-ghost-ships_b_604713.html

San Francisco Bay Ghost Fleet to Be Cleaned, Removed, Recycled

"The agreement outlines MARAD’s commitment to remove 20 of the ships that are in the poorest condition before September 30, 2012. Before their removal, these ships will be sent to a local dry dock for cleaning that involves removing marine growth from the underwater hull and removing 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 September 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.

MARAD will get rid of the piles of hazardous paint chips from vessel decks within 120 days and, by September of next year, clean all peeling paint from the exteriors of the 25 worst ships while in dry dock.

More than 20 tons of heavy metals, including lead, zinc, copper and cadmium, have already fallen, blown or washed off the ships into the water, according to a MARAD-commissioned analysis. If not cleaned up, the vessels were projected to lose as much as an additional 50 tons of heavy metals in the future.

Michael Wall, senior attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council, said, "The San Francisco Bay should never have been a dumping ground for toxic waste. Getting these ships cleaned up and removed is a huge victory for our environment and the people of California.”

“The Obama administration has committed to a concrete, enforceable timetable for ending pollution violations that have been ongoing for a decade,” said Wall. “We welcome the administration’s commitment and look forward to working with MARAD to ensure implementation.”

“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. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood.

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http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/mar2010/2010-03-31-093.html