Disposal Options for Ships

This book identifies and evaluates options for the disposal of U.S. Navy andU.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) ships. Four options are considered:long-term storage, domestic recycling, overseas recycling, and reefing(i.e., the sinking of ships to build artificial reefs). The authorsexamined the use of private and public U.S. shipyards, internationalorganizations, and partnerships between U.S. and foreign companies. Thestudy took applicable environmental and worker health and safety regulationsinto account to arrive at estimates of the costs, benefits, capacities,capabilities, feasibility, and risks associated with each option. It foundthat the Navy and MARAD should exploit the experience gained in the Navy_songoing Ship Disposal Program and the recently initiated MARAD program todispose of poor-condition ships in the inventory. Such a strategy wouldreduce the current risk of ship sinking or other notable environmentaldamage., At the same time, this study also found that both agencies shouldinitiate coordinated discussions with the Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) and other coastal regulatory authorities to develop standards forreefing that will make it a viable, long-term option for disposing of asmany of the 358 ships in the current inactive fleet as possible. The Navyand MARAD should not opt for overseas recycling; such a program wouldinvolve many impediments and difficulties. Neither should they opt forlong-term storage, which entails high and uncertain costs and only defers,rather than solves, the problem of disposing of the ships.