Maritime Administration

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Department of Transportation

Maritime Administration Announces Disposal Contracts For Three More High-Priority Ships

Summer Progress Now Totals Six Obsolete Ships On Track for Removal
F
rom James River Reserve Fleet


On August 9, at a press conference at the James River Reserve Fleet in Fort Eustis, Virginia, Maritime Administrator 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 Schubert.   “Let me be very clear that we will continue to make progress on this issue and work to get this job done.”

The three ships, the Santa Isabel, the Mormacwave, and the American Ranger, are all designated "high priority" for disposal by the Maritime Administration.  Esco Marine, of Brownsville, Texas, was awarded the contracts to dismantle all three ships.  Joining Captain Schubert for the announcement were U.S. Senator John W. Warner and U.S. Representative
Jo Ann S. Davis, both of Virginia.

“Following today’s announcement we will only have two ships left in the fleet with hulls in ‘extremely poor’ condition,” said Captain Schubert.  “I am very optimistic that those ships will be departing in the near future and we will be another step closer to removing these high-priority ships from the James River.”

 

So far this year, contracts have been awarded to

Marine Metals for three ships at $3.1 million, and ESCO Marine for three ships at $3.2 million.

 

The contract award leaves approximately 60 ships
in the James River Reserve Fleet available for
disposal.

 

Maritime Administrator William G. Schubert, making the
contracts announcement, flanked by U.S. Senator John Warner (R-Va.)  and U.S. Representative Jo Ann Davis (R-1-Va.)

Photo by Michael F. Bagley, Fleet Superintendent,
James River Reserve Fleet