Three inactive Maritime Administration ships have been sampled for hazardous materials. An analysis determined the materials present and the problems presented to domestic ship breaking/recycling and to the export of ships for recycling overseas. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and other hazardous or potentially hazardous wastes were found in the ships. If removed before sale of the ships for recycling, this would relieve domestic scrappers of the need to manage these hazards and should significantly increase the value of the ships in the scrap market. The authors' analysis shows that there are some small amounts of hazardous materials, particularly PCB materials, that cannot be removed without complete disassembly of the ship. The EPA sampling guidance for PCB materials is reviewed based on the results from the three ships. Some shortcomings of the guidance are identified and alternative approaches are suggested.


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    Title :

    Environmental Assessment of the Sale of National Defense Reserve Fleet Vessels for Scrapping. Appendix E. Survey of Ships and Materials


    Publication date :

    1997


    Size :

    88 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English