U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Public Affairs Washington, D.C. www.dot.gov/affairs/briefing.htm

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MARAD 04-05	Contact: Wes Irvin
Tuesday, February 8, 2005	Tel.: (202) 366-5807

USS Neosho Set to Leave James River; Ninth Ship to Go Since June

Tugboats are scheduled to tow the freighter USS Neosho from the James River Reserve Fleet on Wednesday, February 9, at approximately 11:00 a.m., to International Shipbreaking Limited, in Brownsville, TX, where it will be dismantled. The departure schedule is subject to weather and safety clearances.

The Neosho will be the ninth vessel to leave the James River Fleet for disposal since last June. The disposal contract for the ship was announced December 20, 2004.

The USS Neosho was built in 1954 at the Bethlehem Steel Shipyard in Quincy, MA, as a U.S. Navy oiler ship. It was decommissioned in 1978, and transferred to the Maritime Administration (MARAD) in 1999.

Preparations for towing the Neosho must be made under the scrutiny of the U.S. Coast Guard. Towing can take place only when the preparations are deemed safe and seaworthy, and if weather permits. MARAD officials emphasize that the process is thorough and that safety considerations may delay the towing schedule.

The James River Reserve Fleet serves as a reserve of ships for national defense and national emergency purposes. The anchorage site located at Ft. Eustis, VA, on the James River includes both ships that are slated for disposal and retention ships that may be activated if needed.

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