In something of an about-face, the United States Navy will be dismantling old ships for recycling rather than using them as artificial reefs. The Navy's new approach starts with four decommissioned aircraft carriers – USS Constellation, USS Forrestal, USS Independence and USS Saratoga. The Forrestal alone represents an estimated 40,000 tons of recyclable steel, copper and aluminum.
"With a strong metal market, these recoverable metals could bring a return of up to $30 million," Self told msnbc.com. "After accounting for the ship purchase price by competitive bid, towing, environmental remediation of toxic materials and labor rates, the recycling of this vessel should be a profitable venture for the domestic ship recycling industry and should give the local economy a great boost."
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
