| "None of us really knew much about shipbreaking before we heard the term." | |
| John Bragg, South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve |
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As long as there has been shipbuilding there has been ship dismantling, but only six companies currently dismantle oceangoing ships in the U.S., and none of them is on the West Coast. When industry officials began eyeing Oregon coastal communities for potential sites to dismantle old military vessels, the community's responses varied from "no way" to "let's learn more."
In answer to the call for information, staff members from South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve in Charleston, Oregon, and many partnering agencies and organizations, hosted a series of public seminars, provided technical information to the governor's office, and participated in a white paper review of how the industry would fit into the state's existing regulatory framework, identifying potential gaps.
A strong community response led the state legislature to pass a bill making Oregon the first in the nation to require companies to break up ships only in a dry dock, which prevents coastal waters from being contaminated with invasive species and toxic materials that can come from dismantling old ships. An emergency clause made it law when the governor signed it on May 25.
Where Ships Go to Die
"None of us really knew much about shipbreaking before we heard the term," says John Bragg, South Slough's coastal training coordinator.
Shipbreaking is the process of dismantling ships and selling their parts—primarily the steel—for scrap. Historically, the process has been dangerous for both the environment and workers. Because of labor costs, most of the world's shipbreaking is now done in Asian countries, where there are few regulations.
U.S. government policy, however, dictates that dismantling of U.S. Maritime Administration and U.S. Navy vessels be done in America.
Today, there are more than 130 obsolete ships—often called the "Ghost Fleet"—awaiting disposal in Newport News, Virginia, Beaumont, Texas, and Suisun Bay, California.
Caught Off Guard
In December 2005, a Virginia shipbreaking company created a public outcry when it announced plans to open the only West Coast facility to dismantle military vessels at Oregon's Port of Newport.
"It caught the people in Newport by surprise," says Bragg. "They reacted very quickly and were not interested in having that type of business in their town."
Industry attention then turned to Coos Bay near the reserve.
"The port is an economic development organization," says Martin Callery, director of communications and freight mobility for the Port of Coos Bay. "Part of our scope of work is to give every proposal a fair hearing. We knew there were going to be a lot of controversial aspects of shipbreaking, but we also felt like we needed to bring it forward and explore what it was all about. It's not our job to say ‘No' until we know more about it."
The port approached South Slough and the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology at the University of Oregon to develop a strategy to inform decision makers and Coos Bay residents of the industry's potential hazards and benefits.
Recycling on a Bigger Scale
As South Slough Reserve learned more about the ship dismantling process, Mike Graybill, reserve manager, adopted the term "ship recycling."
"The U.S. government has an obligation to dispose of U.S. flag vessels. What is the most environmentally responsible way to do that?" Graybill asks. "Recycling is a good idea and is the environmentally responsible thing to do."
He adds, "When you frame the issue in this way, there is a need—a responsibility—for us to consider recycling ships, and to consider the risks of doing that."
Getting Out the Information
In the first of three planned public information seminars, James T. Carlton, director of the marine ecology program at Williams College and Mystic Seaport in Connecticut and a world authority on the unintentional transportation of marine invasive species, discussed the potential for aquatic invasive species being spread by towing the derelict ships from California to Oregon.
"Ships that are mothballed don't have routine maintenance. Some of these ships have been sitting there for decades," explains Graybill. "They are in effect floating reefs and have tons and tons of organisms clinging to their hulls."
Water in ships' ballast tanks can also carry invasive pests that can wreak havoc if turned loose in a new environment.
A second moderated public forum focused on other environmental issues. For instance, old ships may be loaded with asbestos-insulated steam pipes, cancer-causing PCB fire retardants, and lead- or chrome-based paints. The state's existing environmental regulatory structure and worker and workplace safety regulations were also discussed.
When legislation was proposed to address ship recycling issues, a third seminar on social and economic issues was scrapped. "There was a growing awareness that Oregon was unlikely to allow shipbreaking to occur without strict controls," Bragg says.
Reserve staff members provided technical information on shipbreaking to the governor's natural resource policy advisor and participated in an interagency committee led by the Oregon Department of Agriculture to analyze gaps in state environmental regulations related to the industry.
"This was the first time," Graybill says, "that state agencies looked at their own policies related to a specific activity and came back with, ‘Here's what we should do to prepare our state and set standards for this industry.'"
Making Law
In January, a bill was introduced by State Senator Joanne Verger, who represents the areas of Newport and Coos Bay. The legislation requires ship dismantling operations in the state to use a closed dry dock or a graving dock, where the ship sits high and dry so anything that spills out of it can be contained and cleaned up. The bill passed with only one dissenting vote.
"We take very seriously the economic impacts of any kind of legislation, as well as environmental impacts," notes Verger. "Companies will have to bite the bullet if they intend to break up these ships on the West Coast so that all of our estuaries, waterways, and natural resources are protected."
"Quite frankly, we were very pleased with the process," says Callery. "We heard from a lot of folks, and we heard their concerns. . . We have a small staff, so partnering is the only way we get things done."
Graybill agrees, "We were pleased with the process and wouldn't hesitate to do it again."
Additional Information
- Oregon's shipbreaking legislation, http://landru.leg.state.or.us/07reg/measures/sb0400.dir/sb0432.en.html
- The U.S. Maritime Administration's policy paper on ship disposal, www.marad.dot.gov/Policy Papers/Ship Disposal.pdf
- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ship scrapping guide, www.marad.dot.gov/Ship Disposal/PA Scrapping Guide.pdf
For more information on ship recycling, contact John Bragg at (541) 888-5558, ext. 29, or john.bragg@state.or.us, or Mike Graybill at (541) 888-5558, ext. 24, or mike.graybill@state.or.us.
