Ship Reefing to Dispose of MARAD Reserve Fleet Vessels Gathering Steam
The saga of the long journey for the USNS “Hoyt S. Vandenberg” is finally coming to an end. The former troop carrier and missile-tracking ship has been at the heart of a ten-year effort to turn it into an artificial reef off Key West, FL. This week’s Maritime Administration approval to transfer the vessel to the state of Florida is the final hurdle for the 63-year old hull to be cleaned and then sunk for the purpose of creating an artificial reef.
In a press release issued by MARAD, Maritime Administrator Sean T. Connaughton said “Reefing is an excellent way to dispose of our obsolete ships. It is good for the economy, good for the environment, and a great deal for U.S. taxpayers.”
The Vandenberg is not the first ship from the Maritime Administration’s National Defense Reserve Fleet to be used in the Maritime Administration's Artificial Reefing Program. It follows the Texas Clipper I, soon to be sunk on the Texas Gulf Coast, and the Spiegel Grove, sunk off Florida in 2002. Another decommissioned U.S. Navy vessel, the ORISKANY, met a similar fate last year.
With the Maritime Administration contributing $1.25 million toward the cost of preparing the ship for reefing, the program appears to be gathering some steam. Out in California, another reefing advocate group is emulating the effort by Florida-based ARK, who spearheaded the effort to secure the funding necessary to acquire and sink the Vandenberg.
In Florida, HB 759 is now pending in the legislature and reefing advocates say that the bill, if enacted, will be “a huge step forward for the Vandenberg project and artificial reef programs throughout the state.” The bill promises to help establish funding for ship reefs statewide, and names the Vandenberg as the pilot project, with specific funding, because of work already completed in permitting. Supporters say that the bill will represent a boon for recreational marine interests, including fishing and diving operations and the tourist economies of adjacent communities, as well as commercial interests including shipyard contracts and towing operations. The Florida bill is entitled “Placement of Vessels in State Waters to Form Artificial Reefs.”
As described on the state of Florida’s House of Representative’s WEB site, the new bill is “With respect to state's artificial reef program, authorizes planning & development of statewide matching grant program to secure & place U.S. Maritime Administration & U.S. Navy decommissioned vessels in Florida waters as artificial reefs; authorizes planning & development of pilot program for preparation & deployment of specified decommissioned vessel in Key West; provides for administration of such programs by Florida Commission on Tourism; provides for implementation subject to appropriations; provides program objectives; provides for establishment of Florida Decommissioned Vessel Placement Program & matching grant program by Florida Commission on Tourism; provides limitation on total annual allocation of funds for & individual grants awarded under such program; specifies percentage of state matching grant; provides procedures & requirements with respect to programs; provides requirements with respect to funds provided under pilot program; provides appropriation.”
MARAD maintains the National Defense Reserve Fleet as a reserve of ships for defense and national emergencies. In three Reserve Fleet sites, located in Virginia, California and Texas, ships are no longer considered useful for defense or aid missions are awaiting responsible disposal. In recent years, political and environmental pressures have prevented their export to foreign breaking yards and the cost to deal with the toxic materials aboard some of the vessels has seriously degraded the scrapping capacity here at home. But, the reefing program has shown recent promise, and certain yards in the United States have shown the inclination and skills to take on the disposal tasks for some of the vessels.
As the Vandenberg’s journey ends, it ultimate legacy may be to foster a string of other useful endings for vessels that no one seems to want. In the process, MARAD’s long headache of ship disposal problems may have finally been solved by a fast-track, popular and environmentally safe avenue of disposal. And, not a moment too soon.