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11 Dec 2014

Yellowstone to Depart James River Reserve Fleet

USS Yellowstone (Photo: National Parks Service, U.S. Dept. of Interior)

On Tuesday, December 16, 2014, the USS Yellowstone - a National Defense Reserve Fleet non-retention vessel is scheduled to depart the James River Reserve Fleet in Fort Eustis, Virginia for recycling at ESCO Marine, Inc. in Brownsville, Texas.    The Yellowstone, a former U.S. Navy tender (AD-41), was built by NASSCO Shipyard in San Diego, California and commissioned in 1980. The vessel supported operations during Desert Shield and Desert Storm before the U.S. Navy decommissioned the vessel in 1996.

21 Aug 2014

Signet Tows Aircraft Carrier on Final Voyage

SOLAS Certified, ABS A1, 10,000 BHP, Signet Warhorse III en route to Newport Naval Shipyard to tow USS Saratoga to Brownsville, Texas.

The final voyage of aircraft carrier USS Saratoga begins today. From the Eastern Hemisphere to the Western Hemisphere, the USS Saratoga has made her mark around the globe, and served more than 38 years in the United States Navy. The carrier’s aircraft flew sorties in the Vietnam War, in Operation Desert Shield and over the states of the former Yugoslavia in 1992. Throughout its four decades of service, more than 60,000 sailors served on its decks, with roughly 5,000 at any given time.

15 Jun 2014

US Navy Awards Contract To Dismantle Constellation

The Navy competitively awarded a contract to International Shipbreaking Limited of Brownsville, Texas, for the towing, dismantling and recycling of conventionally powered aircraft carriers stricken from service, June 13. Under the contract, the company will be paid $3 million for the dismantling and recycling of the decommissioned aircraft carrier Constellation (CV 64). The price reflects the net price proposed by International Shipbreaking, which considered the estimated proceeds from the sale of the scrap metal to be generated from dismantling. The Navy continues to own the ship during the dismantling process. The contractor takes ownership of the scrap metal as it is produced and sells the scrap to offset its costs of operations.

29 Sep 2011

Maritime Administration Surpasses All Ship Disposal Goals for Suisun Bay

With the departure of the Sperry, the 26th obsolete vessel removed from Suisun Bay, the U.S. Maritime Administration has surpassed by six ships the number of obsolete vessels it agreed in 2009 to remove, Maritime Administrator David Matsuda announced today. The disposal schedule called for 20 ships to be permanently removed from the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet and a total of 25 ships to be cleaned in dry dock by September 30, 2011. “Two years ago we promised to get rid of the obsolete ships that posed a threat to the surrounding environment,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

19 Apr 2011

Ohio to Depart Beaumont Reserve Fleet

The combination container vessel SS Ohio is scheduled to depart the Beaumont Reserve Fleet on Tuesday, April 19, 2011. The vessel was recently sold for recycling to ESCO Marine, Inc. and its departure will reduce the number of non-retention vessels awaiting disposal from the Beaumont Reserve Fleet to eight. The Ohio was built in 1967 as a combination railway car/container-carrying vessel for Seatrain Lines, Inc. of New York. Named Seatrain Ohio, the vessel was constructed by recombining modified sections from three WWII T2 class tankers. The ship was the last of seven such converted vessels that were fitted with tracks and other special equipment so that railcars could move directly from the docks into the ship’ holds. The ship spent its active career on charter to the U.S.

29 Dec 2010

Texas, Virginia Companies Win Dismantling Contracts

According to a report from the Contra Costa Times, Ship recycling facilities in Texas and Virginia have been awarded dismantling contracts for three more Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet mothball vessels. Esco Marine, of Brownsville, Texas, was given the award to recycle the SS Dawn for about $551,000 and the USNS H.H. Hess for about $452,000. The SS Bay's $397,000 dismantling contract, has been awarded to the Bay Bridge Enterprises in Chesapeake, Va. (Source: Contra Costa Times)

06 Aug 2009

82nd Vessel Departs James River Reserve Fleet

The Resolute is scheduled to depart the James River Reserve Fleet Thursday, August 6, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. in transit to Esco Marine, Inc., in Brownsville, Texas for recycling. Resolute, a partial container/ break-bulk ship built in 1980, brought a purchase price of $90,726. The vessel is expected to pass under the James River Bridge approximately two hours after the departure. However, be advised that tow times and passage times vary widely depending on weather and other conditions. The approximate travel time to Texas is 14 days. The Maritime Administration stores ships at three National Defense Reserve Fleet sites: the James River in Virginia, Beaumont in Texas, and the Suisun Bay in California.

24 Jul 2009

81st Vessel Departs James River Reserve Fleet

The Gage departed the James River Reserve Fleet in transit to Esco Marine, Inc., in Brownsville, Texas for recycling.  The approximate travel time to Texas is 14 days.

21 Jul 2009

Vessel Departs James River Reserve Fleet

The Ortolan departed the James River Reserve Fleet at 9:50 a.m. on July 20 in transit to Esco Marine, Inc., in Brownsville, Texas for recycling.  The approximate travel time to Texas is 14 days.  The Ortolan is the 80th ship to leave the James River Reserve Fleet since January 1, 2001.

27 Jan 2009

MARAD Recycles 3 More Ships

The U. S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration has signed fee-for-service contracts to recycle three more of its obsolete ships. Two ships, the Hattiesburg Victory and the Pioneer Contractor, are from the Beaumont Reserve Fleet in Texas, and one, the oiler Savannah, is from the James River Reserve Fleet in Virginia. The Maritime Administration has moved 118 ships out of its National Defense Reserve Fleet sites since 2001. With the contracts announced today, there are only 24 ships left in the James River waiting to be disposed of and without disposal contracts, and 10 such ships in the Beaumont site. The Hattiesburg Victory is one of the few remaining Victory ships built during World War II to carry cargo needed by U.S. forces all over the world.

15 Jul 2008

MarAd Sells Two Obsolete Vessels For More Than $1m Each

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration announced today that it has sold two obsolete ships to American salvage companies for more than $1 million each. The sale of these two vessels from the James River Reserve Fleet (JRRF) near Fort Eustis, Va., each exceed the agency’s ship-disposal program’s recent record-setting price fetched by the sale of the Adonis, which last March sold for $1,151,727. Agency contracting officials report that the has been sold to Esco Marine, Inc., of , , for $1,465,726; and the Truckee has been sold to Bay Bridge Enterprises, L.L.C., of , for $1,231,328. Three other obsolete government-owned ships are also being sold for a combined price of nearly $1.5 million.

03 Mar 2008

MarAd To Recycle Three More Ships

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration has signed contracts totaling $1,136,106 for the recycling of three obsolete ships from its reserve fleets. All three ships will be recycled at the Esco Marine facility in Brownsville, Texas. Two of the ships, Cape Catoche and Cape Carthage, are in the James River Reserve Fleet site at Fort Eustis in Virginia. When they depart the James River site for recycling, they will be the 68th and 69th ships to do so since January of 2001. The third ship, Del Viento, is in the Beaumont Reserve Fleet in Texas. The Maritime Administration keeps ships in three National Defense Reserve Fleet sites to support Armed Forces movements and to respond to national emergencies.

03 Sep 2003

News: More Ghost Fleet Ships Contracted for Scrap

The U.S. Maritime Administration (MarAd) recently awarded a contract for the disposal of obsolete ships in the James River Reserve Fleet. Post-Service Remediation Partners (PRP) of New York will be awarded a payment of $14.8 million to remove a total of 15 ships from the James River Reserve Fleet. This is the largest removal of obsolete ships in a single year from the National Defense Reserve Fleet since 1993. "As stewards of the environment, the responsible disposal of obsolete ships is a high priority for the Department of Transportation," said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta. The PRP award was the result of a negotiated Program Research and Development Announcement (PRDA) proposal that offered the removal of fifteen ships.

10 May 2004

Ship Disposal Encounters Enviro, Political Hurdles

By Joan M. Bondareff and Charles T. In 2001, Congress directed the Maritime Administration (MarAd) to dispose of all obsolete vessels in its inventory by September 30, 2006, and to do so "in the manner that provides the best value to the Government." At present, MarAd has 104 non-retention ships not under contract in three locations around the country-James River Reserve Fleet in Virginia, Beaumont Reserve Fleet in Texas, and Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet in California. MarAd is using a variety of ship disposal options, which include domestic and foreign dismantling/recycling to accomplish this directive. Both have been controversial and foreign scrapping has prompted litigation. This article describes what MarAd is doing and what laws are implicated in this mission. The U.S.

28 Jun 2004

MarAd Disposes of More Ships

Three ships will leave the James River Reserve Fleet this summer, thanks to domestic ship dismantling contracts announced today by U.S. Maritime Administrator Captain William G. Schubert. Marine Metals of Brownsville, TX, has been awarded three contracts valued at $3.1 million to dismantle the American Banker, the Mormacmoon, and the Santa Cruz. All three ships are considered high-priority vessels for dismantling and recycling. "This Administration is working very hard to get these ships out of the James River and on their way to qualified ship breaking yards," said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta. "We are all very anxious to reduce the number of ships in the fleet," he added.

10 Aug 2004

Three More Ships Head for Shipbreakers

The Maritime Administration's Captain William G. Schubert announced disposal contracts for three more ships in the James River Reserve Fleet. With the announcement, 37 ship disposal contracts have been awarded since the beginning of 2001, and 24 ships have left the James River Reserve Fleet. "Today marks another day of real progress as we work to address the inherited challenges of the James River Reserve fleet," said Captain William Schubert. The three ships, the Santa Isabel, the Mormacwave, and the American Ranger, are all designated "high priority" for disposal by the Maritime Administration (MARAD). Esco Marine, of Brownsville, TX, was awarded the contract to dismantle all three ships. Joining Captain Schubert for the announcement, which was made at the fleet site at Ft.

26 Aug 2004

Another ship to leave James River Reserve Fleet

Tugboats are scheduled to tow the freighter American Ranger from the James River Reserve Fleet on August 26th, at approximately 10 a.m., to the Esco Marine facility in Brownsville, TX, where it will be dismantled. The departure schedule is subject to weather and safety clearances. The American Ranger is one of the high-priority ships designated for disposal by the Maritime Administration (MARAD). The contract for the American Ranger was announced August 9th, along with the disposal contracts for two other high-priority ships, the Santa Isabel and the Mormacwave. The Santa Cruz, part of a contract awarded in June, left the JRRF on August 5th. "Tomorrow's tow of the American Ranger demonstrates the significant progress we are making on this important issue.

04 Jan 2005

Obsolete Ship to be Scrapped

For the seventh time in less than six months, a retired ship considered a high priority for scrapping is scheduled to leave the U.S. Maritime Administration’s James River Reserve Fleet on Tuesday, January 4th. The General Nelson M. Walker, the latest in a wave of ships to leave the James River, will be towed to the Esco Marine facility in Brownsville, Texas, to be dismantled. “Each ship towed from the fleet demonstrates the Administration's commitment to the citizens of this region,” said Maritime Administrator Captain William G. Schubert. “We're getting the job done. The General Nelson M. Walker was first commissioned as the Admiral H.T. Mayo (AP-125). The vessel transported troops between Marseilles and the U.S. and between Okinawa and the U.S. between June and September 1945.

09 Nov 2006

Five More to Leave MarAd Reserve Fleet

Five ships moored in Virginia, California, and Texas will be headed to recycling yards under contracts announced today by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration. Two of the ships are from the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet in Benicia, Calif.; two are from the Beaumont Reserve Fleet in Texas; and one is from the James River Reserve Fleet in Newport News, Va. Maritime Administrator Sean T. Connaughton siad that plans worked out with Congress called for the removal of at least 13 ships from the fleet sites in 2006, and that the agency has almost doubled that number, removing 25. The ships scheduled for recycling include the Vulcan…

09 Oct 2006

Rig to be Dewatered, Surveyed

ESCO Marine In., is conducting an inspection, de-watering, & structural survey operation on board the mobile off-shore drilling unit Zeus which is located at the entrance of the Freeport Channel. ESCO is conducting this operation in order to end the recurrence of minor pollution discharges caused by rain-water run off. Currently, this process is expected to last several weeks, and it will be carried out with U.S. Coast Guard, Texas General Land Office, and Brazoria County Environmental Health Division oversight.

24 Aug 2006

U.S. Navy’s Last Gun Cruiser Goes To Scrapyard

The last all-gun cruiser in the U.S. Navy’s inventory is finally headed for the scrapyard. The cruiser Des Moines began the long tow to Texas on Aug. 21 from a storage facility in Philadelphia, where it had been kept for 45 years. Although the Navy planned to get rid of the ship more than a decade ago, disposal was put off while several preservation groups attempted to preserve the Des Moines as a museum ship. None of those efforts came to fruition, and the Navy decided in May to scrap the ship. On Aug. 21 — the same day the ship left Philadelphia — a $924,000 contract to dismantle the Des Moines was awarded to ESCO Marine of Brownsville, Texas. Under tow by the Navy salvage ship Grasp, the Des Moines is expected to arrive in Brownsville around Sept.

30 Jul 2003

More Ghost Fleet Vessels to be Removed

The U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) today announced a contract award for the disposal of obsolete ships in the James River Reserve Fleet. Post-Service Remediation Partners (PRP) of New York will be awarded a payment of $14.8 million to remove a total of 15 ships from the James River Reserve Fleet. This is the largest removal of obsolete ships in a single year from the National Defense Reserve Fleet since 1993. "As stewards of the environment, the responsible disposal of obsolete ships is a high priority for the Department of Transportation," said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta. The PRP award was the result of a negotiated Program Research and Development Announcement (PRDA) proposal that offered the removal of fifteen ships.

25 May 2006

Resolve Marine Assists in Sinking USS Oriskany

With a blast that echoed across the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, the USS Oriskany began her 36-minute-long descent into the depths of the blue waters some 25 miles off the coast of Pensacola, Fla., May 17. An estimated 250 vessels filled with spectators encircled the near 900 foot-long decommissioned Navy aircraft carrier to witness its historic plunge into 212 feet of water to begin her new life as an artificial reef as part of the Navy’s new initiative to dispose of several such vessels. More than 30 office staff members and project staff from Resolve Marine Group, Inc. were on hand to watch as the vessel was carefully rigged with explosives and then ceremoniously sunk.

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