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The Virginian-Pilot VIRGINIA, 7 April 2002 -- ABOUT THE GHOST FLEET The James River Reserve Fleet -- better known as the Ghost Fleet -- was created in 1925 off Fort Eustis in Newport News. It is the largest and oldest floating parking lot in the country, designed to hold government ships that might be used again in time of national crisis. Today, 97 ships sit idle in the middle of the James, deteriorating and occasionally leaking. THE POTENTIAL TROUBLE If two ships in the Ghost Fleet broke apart in a storm, they would release 282,000 gallons of heavy oil into the James River, according to a ''worst-case'' analysis last year. As shown in this map, the spill would spread quickly north and south, extending some 50 miles over two days. Cleanup would weeks to complete, and the damage years to assess. Some officials question whether the worst-case is really that, given the possibility of many more ships breaking apart if a hurricane strikes. WHAT'S AT RISK The lower James River includes four state wildlife sanctuaries, national and state historical parks, marshes and undeveloped beaches. Species that live and breed there: federally protected terns, bald eagles and piping plovers, egrets and great blue herons. Just south of the fleet, in Burwells Bay, are some of the largest remaining public oyster grounds in Virginia. Hard-shell and soft-shell clams and blue crabs also are harvested from the waters. LOOKING FOR HELP It costs a million a year to maintain the ghost fleet. Disposing of its 71 obsolete ships, also loaded with lead paint, asbestos and toxic PCBs, could cost $177 million. Lacking money, the federal government has issued an open request for new and cheap ideas for getting rid of the fleet. FAIR USE NOTICE. This document contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. The Basel Action Network is making this article available in our efforts to advance understanding of ecological sustainability and environmental justice issues. We believe that this constitutes a `fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond `fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. More News |