Navy Hires NASSCO for USS Bonhomme Richard Cleanup

A San Diego shipyard has been awarded $10 million to continue emergency firefighting support, dewatering, safety and initial cleanup efforts aboard the fire-stricken USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6), the Pentagon announced. 

The award to National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) is a modification to a previous contract for repairs that had been underway when the blaze erupted aboard the 844-foot-long amphibious assault ship on July 12.

Navy and civilian firefighting teams battled flames aboard the ship for four days before all known fires were reported to be extinguished on July 16. Sixty-three personnel, including 40 Navy sailors and 23 civilians, had been treated for minor injuries.

NASSCO's cleanup work is expected to be completed by November 2020, according to the contract announcement.

Meanwhile, the Navy is ramping up its investigation into the cause of the fire and the severity of damage to the costly warship.