Boxer Receives Commitment From Senate Commerce Committee On Suisun Bay

Boxer Receives Commitment From Senate Commerce Committee on Suisun Bay

Today, the leadership of the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee made a commitment to U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) that they will address her concerns about "mothballed" vessels rotting in the Suisun Bay.

There are currently 73 deteriorating National Defense Reserve Fleet vessels that have been rotting away in Suisun Bay, California since the end of World War II. More than two-thirds of those vessels are beyond repair and awaiting disposal at sites around the country.

Before the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) can transfer the ships to the recycling facilities, the Coast Guard is requiring that the hulls be cleaned of any organic matter to ensure no invasive species remain. Unfortunately, during this cleaning process, toxic paint flakes off the ships into the water, posing a serious health and environmental risk to Suisun Bay and the surrounding community.

Boxer said, "While I support the removal of these rotting ships as quickly as possible, I want to make sure we are doing so in the most efficient, environmentally safe, and cost-effective manner possible. That is why I am pleased to receive a commitment from the leadership of the Commerce Committee that we will address these issues in the upcoming Coast Guard Reauthorization bill."

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