Information on Ship Disposal

Vandenberg leaves the James River Reserve Fleet, March 30, 2007, on its way to becoming an artificial reef.

The Maritime Administration maintains the National Defense Reserve Fleet as a reserve of ships for defense and national emergencies.  There are three fleet sites: the James River Reserve Fleet at Fort Eustis, Va.; the Beaumont Reserve Fleet in Beaumont, Texas; and the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet at Benicia, Calif.  When ships are no longer considered useful for defense or aid missions, the Maritime Administration arranges for their responsible disposal.

The Maritime Administration uses several different methods for disposing of ships.  The most frequently used is recycling, which is carried out in accordance with recycling guidelines set forward by the Environmental Protection Agency. Link to recycling guidelines.    Ships may also be transferred to states, to be cleaned for artificial reefs.  The Maritime Administration was part of a team that developed best management practices for artificial reefing.  Ships may also be donated to qualified organizations: Ship Donation Program

Update on the Ship Disposal Program.  In February 2007, the Maritime Administrator temporarily suspended the issuance of new ship disposal contracts.  That suspension has ended at the James River and Beaumont fleets, but remains in effect at the Suisun Bay site.  More.

Background on the National Defense Reserve Fleet.

The Maritime Administration periodically issues a report to Congress on the progress of the ship disposal program.  July 2007 Report to Congress.

The Maritime Administration issues a listing of the NDRF each month, showing numbers and locations of ships, plus information on the ship types and the dates they were built. Inventory

For information on the contracting process for ship disposal, check MARAD's Virtual Office of Acquisition.

Ship disposal presents many challenges due to the complexity of the ships themselves, environmental and safety issues, uncertainties in the domestic industrial base, and a changing international consensus on ship disposal.  An excellent source of background on the factors involved in ship disposal is the Interagency Report on Ship Scrapping. Although the report was issued in 1998, the background it gives on the issue is still useful.