Current:Home > MarketsSouth Carolina to remove toxic waste from historic World War II aircraft carrier-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
South Carolina to remove toxic waste from historic World War II aircraft carrier
View Date:2024-12-24 00:42:16
MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (AP) — More toxic waste will be extracted from a World War II aircraft carrier in Charleston Harbor to prevent leakage that would imperil the commercial shipping industry and coastal ecosystems central to the South Carolina port city’s identity.
The removal of over 1.2 million gallons (4.5 million liters) of petroleum and other hazards is part of an $18 million remediation effort for the USS Yorktown, which powered through tours in the Pacific Ocean and off Vietnam before the U.S. Navy donated the decommissioned ship in 1975. The waterfront attraction at Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum has since become one of South Carolina’s most popular tourist stops, but the increased potential for leaky tanks poses a threat to the surrounding waters.
The USS Yorktown should be known for concepts like duty and honor, not “dirty, harmful, cleanup,” Robert Boyles, director of the state’s natural resources department, said at a Tuesday news conference.
State officials long declined to allocate funds toward mitigating the environmental hazard, even after a 2013 Patriots Point Development Authority study estimated that the USS Yorktown had amassed some 1.6 million gallons of toxic waste. The risk of pollution grew as saltwater corroded the hull of the ship, lodged offshore in the mud.
The South Carolina Office of Resilience began the removal process in 2022 using federal relief funds under an executive order signed by Republican Gov. Henry McMaster. Officials have since identified more than 400 onboard tanks that still hold bulk liquids — including 65,000 gallons of heavy fuel oil, according to Dr. Jacqueline Michel, the president of a consulting firm specializing in oil spills.
Almost nine tons of oily waste have been removed so far from nearly 50 tanks. Patriots Point Development Authority Executive Director Allison Hunt said the largest containers are as big as 32 feet (9.75 meters) deep, 28 feet (8.5 meters) long and 8 feet (2.4 meters) wide.
Vacuum pumps sucked out the thick, black liquid all summer long, Hunt said. Trucks with 3,000-gallon (11,356-liter) capacities ferried the waste between the ship and 120,000-gallon (454,249-liter) tanks sitting landside. The dregs were then driven to a nearby treatment facility.
All the while, the USS Yorktown remained open for tours. Patriots Point draws some 300,000 visitors each year, including elementary school students on field trips and local Boy Scout troops on overnight stays.
“Those first days, we were a little concerned, with the number of guests that we have,” Hunt said.
Patriots Point officials believe it’s the first time an aircraft carrier of this size has been remediated. Federal law did not require that the USS Yorktown’s stewards remove the pollutants inside when it was decommissioned in 1970.
Other ships have undergone similar processes on land. But officials said they cannot dislodge the USS Yorktown from the muddy ocean floor 25 feet (7.6 meters) below the surface.
The Charleston area is the “most beautiful, prosperous, lush place in all of His Majesty’s areas,” McMaster said Tuesday, paraphrasing a colonial report to the King of England.
“Keeping this ship and this place, Patriots Point, booming for the rest of the state is our job,” McMaster said.
___
Pollard is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
veryGood! (568)
Related
- When do new episodes of 'Cobra Kai' Season 6 come out? Release date, cast, where to watch
- Plaintiffs in a Georgia redistricting case are asking a judge to reject new Republican-proposed maps
- Kate Cox sought an abortion in Texas. A court said no because she didn’t show her life was in danger
- Congressional candidate’s voter outreach tool is latest AI experiment ahead of 2024 elections
- 'Joker 2' actor pans DC sequel as the 'worst film' ever: 'It has no plot'
- US Asians and Pacific Islanders view democracy with concern, AP-NORC/AAPI Data poll shows
- Yes, dietary choices can contribute to diabetes risk: What foods to avoid
- A Florida woman, a 10-year-old boy and a mother of 2 are among Tennessee tornado victims
- Champions Classic is for elite teams. So why is Michigan State still here? | Opinion
- For The Eras Tour, Taylor Swift takes a lucrative and satisfying victory lap
Ranking
- NY forest ranger dies fighting fires as air quality warnings are issued in New York and New Jersey
- Cyclone Jasper is expected to intensify before becoming the first of the season to hit Australia
- Serbian democracy activists feel betrayed as freedoms, and a path to the EU, slip away
- A Chicago train operator knew snow equipment was on the line but braked immediately, review finds
- Will Aaron Rodgers retire? Jets QB tells reporters he plans to play in 2025
- NFL power rankings Week 15: How high can Cowboys climb after landmark win?
- Andre Braugher, Emmy-winning actor who starred in ‘Homicide’ and ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine,’ dies at 61
- 'This is completely serious': MoonPie launches ad campaign targeting extraterrestrials
Recommendation
-
Prosecutors say some erroneous evidence was given jurors at ex-Sen. Bob Menendez’s bribery trial
-
US proposes replacing engine-housing parts on Boeing jets like one involved in passenger’s death
-
Multiple injuries reported in nighttime missile attack on Ukrainian capital
-
Two indicted in Maine cold case killing solved after 15 years, police say
-
Ready-to-eat meat, poultry recalled over listeria risk: See list of affected products
-
$2 trillion worth of counterfeit products are sold each year. Can AI help put a stop to it?
-
House panel urges tougher trade rules for China, raising chance of more tariffs if Congress agrees
-
Universities of Wisconsin regents to vote again on GOP deal to cut diversity spots for cash