The Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration has signed contracts to clean and recycle three World War II-era ships from the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet, including the last two Victory ships moored in the Bay. The Rider Victory and the Winthrop Victory are the last two Victory ships owned by the federal agency; the third ship, the Mission Santa Ynez, was built in 1943.
“The Obama Administration is committed to environmental stewardship and to the clean up of Suisun Bay," said Ray LaHood, Transportation secretary. "Many of these dilapidated ships pose a dangerous and unacceptable risk to the surrounding marine environment. We have already successfully towed the first two ships out of the Bay to be recycled, and with these next contracts in place, will continue moving swiftly forward to clean and recycle another three obsolete vessels.”
Including the contracts signed with the three vessels this week, five vessels from the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet have been contracted for scrapping.
The ships will be towed to BAE Systems San Francisco Ship Repair, where they will be cleaned of marine growth and loose exterior paint. They will then be towed to Brownsville, Texas to be dismantled by Esco Marine under the terms of three separate fee-for-service contracts for $3,407,726.