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Suisun Bay News

04 Aug 2017

Suisun Bay Vessel Removal Project Completed

Maritime Administration Executive Director Joel Szabat joined federal, state and local officials and environmental groups to mark the completion of an agreement to remove 57 non-retention vessels from the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet (SBRF) by September 30, 2017. The departure of the Cape Borda for recycling reaches the milestone two months ahead of schedule. “Our progress in Suisun Bay is the result of hard work and smart collaboration,” said the Maritime Administration’s Executive Director Joel Szabat. “There is perhaps no greater symbol of the maritime industry’s environmental progress than what has been accomplished here. In 2009, MARAD entered an agreement with local officials and environmental groups to expedite disposal of 57 non-retention SBRF vessels…

12 Dec 2014

Winter Storm to Hit San Francisco Bay

A major winter storm is forecast for the San Francisco Bay this week. The storm is forecast to impact the entire Bay Area region, Monterey, and Lake Tahoe. Patchy fog, heavy rain, gale force winds (in excess of 34 knots) and increased wave action are expected Wednesday night, 10 December 2014 through Thursday 11 December 2014, with weather abating and showers expected on Friday 12 December 2014.... This MSIB clarifies USCG Captain of the Port expectations and provides recommended actions in preparation for heavy weather conditions forecast for the San Francisco COTP Zone. Industry partners should review the applicable portions of the San Francisco, San Pablo and Suisun Bay Harbor Safety Plan, implement heavy-weather plans and shall take due diligence to prepare for potential storm impacts.

12 Mar 2014

Krepp Comments on GSA Storis Auction

Denise Krepp

Denise Rucker Krepp, former Maritime Administration Chief Counsel who currently advocates on behalf of the U.S. domestic ship recycling industry, issued a statement at the Coast Guard Shipping Coordinating Committee Meeting March 12, 2014, in Preparation for the April 2014 Maritime Environment Protection Committee Meeting. Below are her comments. Good morning. My name is Denise Krepp and I am representing EMR-Southern Recycling. As I mentioned last year, EMR-Southern Recycling is the premier metal recycling operation in the U.S.

07 Jun 2013

MARAD Unveils Virtual Tour of USNS Comet

The Maritime Administration has launched a virtual tour on its website of the USNS Comet, a non-retention vessel currently located at its Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet in Benicia, California. This 360 degree photographic tour provides the experience of walking onboard the ship. Built in 1957, the Comet was the first of its kind deep draft ocean going vessel designed for roll on/roll off handling of vehicles and other wheeled cargo. The virtual tour can be viewed at: www.marad.dot.gov/Assets/html/usns_comet_main.html www.marad.dot.gov

13 May 2013

MARAD Deputy Matsuda Resigns

David Matsuda (photo: U.S. Maritime Administration)

David Matsuda, the U.S. Maritime Administrator, announced that he is stepping down. In a statement released by Marad spokesperson Kim Strong, Matsuda's career highlights and accomplishments were also listed. "Matsuda, who previously worked as the primary transportation counsel to Sen. Frank Lautenberg, was responsible for overseeing more than $1 billion in federal assistance to modernize over 100 of America's small shipyards, upgrade 25 U.S. ports, and build new vessels in the U.S.

15 Oct 2012

Obsolete US Ship Recycling Target Surpassed

U.S. Transportation Secretary visits Suisun Bay in Northern California to celebrate surpassing administration's goal for recycling. Ray LaHood, US Transportation Secretary visited Shuisun Bay for the occasion. In 2010, the Department’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) committed to removing 28 ships from the fleet by September 30, 2012. To date, MARAD has removed 36 ships, with three more vessels scheduled for removal by the end of the year. “Three years ago, the Department of Transportation promised to get rid of the ships that posed a threat to the environment, and I am proud to announce today that we are delivering on that promise,” said Secretary LaHood.

15 Aug 2012

New PPG coating helps revive historic warship

PSX ONE coating restores ‘Battleship of Presidents,’ now an interactive naval museum. The USS Iowa protected America for nearly 50 years. Now PSX® ONE coating, an advanced marine coating introduced last year by PPG Industries, is protecting the ship. Known as the “World’s Greatest Naval Ship” and the “Big Stick,” the 887-foot-long, 45,000-ton USS Iowa was first deployed in 1943. It is also called the “Battleship of Presidents” because it hosted more visits by U.S. presidents than any ship of its kind, including its historic escort of Franklin D.

28 May 2012

Battleship 'Iowa' on Tow to New Home

'Iowa' Battle Honors: Photo credit Wiki CCL Binksternet

Surrounded by pleasure boats and other vessels, the 887-foot long, 58,000-ton battlewagon was towed through the bay and passed under the Golden Gate Bridge. Crowds watched from both sides of the bridge as the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Sockeye provided an official escort and the San Francisco fireboat Phoenix led the way. At the St. Francis Yacht Club on San Francisco’s shoreline, officers and crew members of the USS Decatur, outfitted in their dress whites, saluted as the Iowa drifted past, Rogers said.

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.

24 May 2011

Two More Ships to Depart Suisun Bay Fleet

The departures mark the 22nd and 23rd ships to leave the National Defense Reserve Fleet since October 2009, when the Obama Administration announced its commitment to clean up the site and improve the surrounding environment. As a result, the U.S. Maritime Administration is more than four months ahead of schedule in removing obsolete U.S. ships from the Reserve Fleet. The disposal schedule calls for 20 ships to be removed from SBRF by September 30, 2011. The Bolster, formerly the USS Bolster (ARS-38)…

30 May 2014

More Ships Depart Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet

Two obsolete vessels, the Reclaimer and Sagamore, are scheduled to be towed from the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet on Monday, May 16, 2011. The departures mark the 20th and 21st ships to leave the National Defense Reserve Fleet since October 2009, when the Obama Administration announced its commitment to clean up the site and improve the surrounding environment. As a result, the U.S. Maritime Administration is more than four months ahead of schedule in removing obsolete U.S. ships from the Reserve Fleet. Further, the vessels Bolsterand Clamp are currently scheduled for departure from the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet on Monday, May 23, 2011. The disposal schedule calls for 20 ships to be removed from SBRF by September 30, 2011.

17 Feb 2011

MARAD Marks Opening of First West Coast Ship Recycling Facility

On Friday, Feb. 18, at 10:00 a.m. PST, U.S. Maritime Administrator David Matsuda will join Congressman George Miller and state and local officials in a ribbon-cutting ceremony officially opening the first ship recycling facility on the West Coast. Allied Defense Recycling is expecting to bring more than 100 jobs to the community. The new facility will increase overall domestic capacity for ship recycling and help expedite the cleanup of the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet. Following the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Administrator Matsuda will travel to Alameda where, at 4:00 p.m., he will present the Administrator’s Professional Ship Award to the captain and crew of the Cape Jacob for supporting sealift operations in the Far East and Middle East. When:           Friday, Feb. 10:00 a.m.

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)

10 Nov 2010

MARAD Awards $3.1M Contract to New Bay Area Ship Recycler

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration announced that it has awarded two contracts for a total of $3.1m to Allied Defense Recycling of Petaluma, Calif., to clean and recycle two Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet ships, the SS Solon Turman and the SS President. The two ships are scheduled to be towed from Suisun Bay to the former Mare Island Naval Shipyard facility in for recycling in December. “The Obama Administration is running full-speed ahead in its commitment to cleaning up the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. In October 2009, the Obama Administration called for expedited cleanup of the fleet site and improved protection of the unique marine environment and surrounding bayside communities…

16 Aug 2010

MARAD Ship Leaves Suisun Bay Fleet for Scrapping

Bay Ship & Yacht, located in Alameda on San Francisco Bay, has completed hydro-blasting the hull and superstructure, and inspecting the decommissioned USS Florikan for seaworthiness. The ship is shown in the shipyard’s 388 x 84 ft drydock prior to being towed to Texas for scrapping. The Florikan will be one less ship in the US Maritime Administration’s Reserve Fleet at Suisun Bay to arouse concern by California’s Water Control Board for San Francisco Bay’s water quality. Originally numbering more than 100 ships, the fleet has now been reduced to only 57 ships, as one ship after another has been removed from the fleet, cleaned at a local shipyard to comply with the US-Coast-Guard-enforced Invasive Species Act, and towed to Texas for scrapping.

07 Jul 2010

West Coast Maritime Action

While maritime activity showing renewed signs of life along the entire Pacific Coast, from Prince Rupert to San Diego, shipbuilding is becoming ever-more dependant on the US Navy and Jones Act ships, while ship-repair yards are focused on a broad spectrum of boats and ships. In California, some of that work has focused on re-powering harbor craft to meet the state’s stringent environmental regulations. Along the Columbia River, shipyards remain centered on meeting the on-going demand for ocean-going barges…

05 Apr 2010

Removal of Obsolete Ships from Suisun Bay

The federal government announced that it would remove the remaining 52 ships that are currently moored in the Suisun Bay as part of an agreement with environmental groups that was filed in federal court in Sacramento, Calif., the Department of Justice and Department of Transportation announced March 31. The Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) has already begun removing obsolete ships from Suisun Bay for recycling, including four ships that have been removed since November 2009 and a fifth that was removed March 31. The agreement outlines MARAD’s commitment to remove 20 of the ships that are in the poorest condition prior to Sept. 30, 2012.

26 Jan 2010

Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet subject to FWPCA

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California ruled that the non-retention vessels in the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet, operated by the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD), are point sources subject to the permitting requirements of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (FWPCA) [also referred to as the Clean Water Act (CWA)]. Exfoliated paint and other materials discharged into water are pollutants under the FWPCA and permits under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) should be obtained. The court also ruled that the exfoliated paint constitutes a hazardous waste under California law. This results in MARAD being both a generator of hazardous waste and the operator of a hazardous waste storage facility.

26 Oct 2009

Plan to Clean Up Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet

U.S. Transportation Deputy Secretary John D. Porcari announced that the Department’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) will begin to clean up and recycle obsolete vessels at the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet (SBRF). MARAD has awarded the first contracts for the removal and recycling of two WWII-era cargo ships currently moored in Suisun Bay, Calif. – the first ships to be disposed from the fleet since January 2007. “The Obama Administration is committed to good environmental stewardship, and these deteriorating vessels pose a risk to the marine ecosystem in Suisun Bay,” said Deputy Secretary Porcari. “We can maintain our national defense sealift assets at the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet with a much smaller footprint on the surrounding environment.

25 Aug 2009

U.S. DOT Recycles Two More JRRF Ships

The U. S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration has awarded contracts to recycle two more of the obsolete government-owned ships, which are currently moored in the James River Reserve Fleet (JRRF) in Virginia. The two ships being recycled are the Escape and the Cape Cod. These two vessels will be the 83rd and 84th ships to leave the JRRF since 2001. The Escape (ARS-6) was built as a Navy rescue ship in 1942 by Basalt Rock Co. in Napa, Calif. The vessel supported the nation's "Mercury" manned spaceflight program in the early 1960s. The Escape will be recycled at Bay Bridge Enterprises, LLC, of Chesapeake, Va., at a cost to the federal government of $115,200. The Cape Cod (AK-5041) was built as a break-bulk cargo ship in 1962 by Bethlehem Steel in Sparrows Point, Md.

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.

10 Jul 2009

DOT Sells Two More Ships for Recycling

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration has sold two ships for recycling to Esco Ltd. of Brownsville, Texas for a total of $171,452. Resolute, a partial container/breakbulk ship built in 1980, brought a purchase price of $90,726. Resolute is currently moored at the James River Reserve Fleet site in Newport News, Va. Gulf Farmer, a breakbulk cargo ship built in 1964, brought a purchase price of $80,726. Gulf Farmer is at the Beaumont Reserve Fleet site in Texas. Both ships, which are to leave their respective fleet sites within 30 days, are to be recycled, which is the most common method of ship disposal used by the Maritime Administration. When a ship is recycled the recycler often salvages and sells metal and other materials.

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.

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