Oriskany ("O" Boat) update
- Thread starter Rick Murchison
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gem1:
Have you ever thought of scanning the photos and uploading them to a web site? Those can really add a sense of the history and personality of the ship, and a way of connecting her crew to the divers who will now enjoy her. I've seen several sites (including, I think, the Spiegel Grove) that have done that, and it makes the dives really special.
Just a thought,
Grier
Townsend
Registered
From the Navy Times (http://www.navytimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-2977353.php)
The sinking, which could take seven hours to complete once the explosives are detonated, will be open to the public. Just how close watercraft carrying onlookers can get has yet to be determined, said Patricia Dolan, department director for the Naval Sea System Commands office of congressional and public affairs.
But before the soon-to-be largest underwater artificial reef in the nation makes its way to the Gulf floor, the Oriskany is scheduled to be docked at the Port of Pensacola for about a month and a half.
The carrier should arrive in Pensacola around July 18 and remain in port until late August or early September, said retired Vice Adm. Jack Fetterman, a driving force in securing Northwest Florida as the site for the artificial reef. The ship now is in Corpus Christi, Texas, undergoing preparations.
An estimated sink date will only occur after its been here for at least a couple weeks, he said.
The sinking, which could take seven hours to complete once the explosives are detonated, will be open to the public. Just how close watercraft carrying onlookers can get has yet to be determined, said Patricia Dolan, department director for the Naval Sea System Commands office of congressional and public affairs.
But before the soon-to-be largest underwater artificial reef in the nation makes its way to the Gulf floor, the Oriskany is scheduled to be docked at the Port of Pensacola for about a month and a half.
The carrier should arrive in Pensacola around July 18 and remain in port until late August or early September, said retired Vice Adm. Jack Fetterman, a driving force in securing Northwest Florida as the site for the artificial reef. The ship now is in Corpus Christi, Texas, undergoing preparations.
An estimated sink date will only occur after its been here for at least a couple weeks, he said.
jhelmuth
Contributor
gfisher4792:
If anyone is going out on their boat (for the sinking and later diving), I'll meet you and bring my digital video kit and will provide free DVDs to them for the chance to go.
dyarab:
Yes. However, it was due to a screw up which resulted in the ship's sinking before everyone had cleared out and the explosives detonated. Hopefully it won't be the same with this one.
It will be nice if the sinking is toward the end of July. I should have my clearance to dive by then
donacheson
Contributor
gpatton:
One source stated about 24 miles SE of Pensacola Pass.
madeline
Contributor
Re; Pensacola News Journal, Oriskany will be scutted 25 miles southeast of Pensacola Pass. "We'd love to see the ship on the bottom by late August or the first week of ?September, a name was given, Ray or steve, a representativeof the Texas Rails, and Docks Co. phone 210-333-6135, or email raydietrich@ev1.net , I have not contacted them, this is just from the article on the sinking of the Oriskany .
OP
UPDATE ON THE ORISKANY ARTIFICIAL REEF PROJECT
Status report by Jon Dodrill, FWC, Artificial Reef Program Administrator
For the last 8 months FWC has been working closely with the Navy and in partnership with Escamiba County, FL to plan, environmentally prepare, tow and sink the aircraft carrier Oriskany as a fishing, diving, and reef habitat site about 22 nautical miles offshore of Pensacola, Florida (Escambia County NW Florida). The Navy, following a competitive application process, selected NW Florida over Texas, South Carolina, Georgia, and Mississippi as the proposed sinking location.
Currently the ex-Oriskany is at Texas Dock and Rail in Corpus Christi Texas. The Naval Sea Systems Command, the current custodian of the vessel is working in conjunction with personnel from the Navy's Supervisor of Shipbuilding and Repair section in Bath Maine (SUPSHIP Bath) to oversee a contract with Resolve Marine Group (Port Everglades, FL) and ESCO Marine (Brownsville, TX) to environmentally remediate the Oriskany in accordance with interagency cleanup draft national guidance standards for preparing vessels intended to create artificial reefs. The cleanup, dock rental, and towing is expensive, expected to cost the Navy at least $2.5 million dollars, Escambia County $950,000, and nearby Okaloosa County $50,000. Some non-ferrous metals are being recovered and recycled to help offset the contractor's considerable costs in cleaning the vessel (draining, cleaning fuel tanks, etc). The target date for the vessel cleanup/preparation completion is expected to be July 31st. with a two week fall back window to August 15 (end of the dock rental contract with Texas Dock and Rail).
The vessel was inspected by FWC liaison Jon Dodrill and Escambia County Representative Robert Turpin on June 23-24, 2004 (They participated in a 50% completion inspection on May 5, 2004). As of June 24th, the Navy's contract manager reported vessel cleanup as 86% complete. FWC and Escambia County requested additional work to be performed on the island superstructure to remove electrical cable, windows, doors and hatches and other items that could be considered potential diver hazards in the superstructure area of the ship that would be within the recreational diving limits (130 feet depth-to flight deck). In mid June a team of Navy divers checked the vessel's hull, made one very minor repair (small patch) and reported the Oriskany hull to be sound.
The Navy has had a full time manager on site since the vessel arrived in the yard at Corpus Christi. He oversees the day to day progress on cleaning the vessel
No exact tow date for the Oriskany's movement to Pensacola has been set. According to the navy's current projected schedule we anticipate that the vessel will be towed to Pensacola sometime between July 31st and August 15. Once the vessel arrives in Pensacola there will be a final inspection by the Environmental Protection Agency. Any accompanying final cleanup details will be addressed in Pensacola while the vessel is berthed there for up to four weeks.
The proposal by the Navy to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to leave on board certain materials containing solid polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at levels at or above 50 parts per million (50 ppm) has triggered an EPA requirement for the Navy to provide an Oriskany specific Supplemental Human Health Risk Assessment. PCBs are a very stable heat resistant product used in various commercial applications between the 1930s and about 1975 when PCB production was banned in the U.S. PCBs also tend to persist in the environment, are lipophilic (accumulate in tissues with high fat content), and readily adsorb to suspended particulates and bottom sediment. (EPA, 1993)
On military ships PCBs appeared in materials such as cable insulation, rubber products including door and ventilation gaskets, paint, and bulkhead insulation where fire retardant properties were required. On the Oriskany about 95 % by weight of the PCBs are tied up in the estimated 403,600 pounds of electrical cable insulation, running for scores of linear miles throughout all Oriskany deck levels. The second largest solid PCB contributor (3% by weight) where some (but not all) samples indicated PCB levels above 50 ppm was in the bulkhead insulation. An estimated 115, 697 lbs of bulkhead insulation remain on board throughout the ship. The navy is proposing to leave most of these materials onboard due to the fact that it would not be cost effective for them to remove these materials. Under a scenario of removing 5% of the paint, 10% of the bulkhead insulation and 10% of the wiring, an estimated 738-1385 lbs of solid PCBs would remain (Pape, 2004). The Navy must secure a risk based disposal authorization from EPA Region 4 in order to proceed with the sinking process. EPA is currently evaluating a supplemental human health risk assessment (SHHRA) developed by the Navy for the Oriskany
Tentatively scheduled for August 10, 2004 in Pensacola the EPA with the assistance of Navy, FWC and Escambia County will hold a public meeting/open house at the Civic Center from 6pm-9pm to present various aspects of the Oriskany project with a focus on interpretation of the human/environmental health risks associated with sinking the vessel. The meeting will be followed by a public comment period on the sinking project to ensure any public concerns are adequately addressed. The actual sinking is expected to take place in late August or early September. The sinking will be a slow seven hour process, intended to place the vessel upright on the sea floor in 212 feet of water so that the top of the superstructure (with radar masts removed) will be about 60 feet below the surface to comply with navigational clearance requirements.
There will be a commemorative ceremony for the Oriskany to be held at the National Naval Air Museum. This is an invitation only ceremony due to limited space and is being organized by Adm. John "Jack" Fetterman, USN ret., executive director of the Naval Air Museum Foundations (850.453.2389). A date and time has not been determined. During the time period the Oriskany is in Pensacola, veterans and their family members may be allowed some very limited access to the vessel. The general public will probably not be allowed to board the Oriskany once it arrives at the Port of Pensacola due to the fact that there will be no electrical power in the vessel's interior passageways and the vessel itself is classified as a construction site.
Additional information on commemorative activity planning related to the Oriskany can be found at www.naspensacola.navy.mil There is a link from that site to the Navy's site which provides background information on the Oriskany. Since tow, sink, and commemorative event dates remain tentative, further information on timelines as the project moves forward can be obtained from the Pensacola Naval Air Station Public Affairs Office (850.452.2311; contact Harry White). Harry.White@navy.mil
Other contacts:
Jon Dodrill, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission: (850.922.4340 x 209). Jon.Dodrill@fwc.state.fl.us <mailto:Jon.Dodrill@fwc.state.fl.us>
Robert Turpin, Escambia County Division of Marine Resources (850.554.5869)
Robert_Turpin@co.escambia.fl.us
Rick
Status report by Jon Dodrill, FWC, Artificial Reef Program Administrator
For the last 8 months FWC has been working closely with the Navy and in partnership with Escamiba County, FL to plan, environmentally prepare, tow and sink the aircraft carrier Oriskany as a fishing, diving, and reef habitat site about 22 nautical miles offshore of Pensacola, Florida (Escambia County NW Florida). The Navy, following a competitive application process, selected NW Florida over Texas, South Carolina, Georgia, and Mississippi as the proposed sinking location.
Currently the ex-Oriskany is at Texas Dock and Rail in Corpus Christi Texas. The Naval Sea Systems Command, the current custodian of the vessel is working in conjunction with personnel from the Navy's Supervisor of Shipbuilding and Repair section in Bath Maine (SUPSHIP Bath) to oversee a contract with Resolve Marine Group (Port Everglades, FL) and ESCO Marine (Brownsville, TX) to environmentally remediate the Oriskany in accordance with interagency cleanup draft national guidance standards for preparing vessels intended to create artificial reefs. The cleanup, dock rental, and towing is expensive, expected to cost the Navy at least $2.5 million dollars, Escambia County $950,000, and nearby Okaloosa County $50,000. Some non-ferrous metals are being recovered and recycled to help offset the contractor's considerable costs in cleaning the vessel (draining, cleaning fuel tanks, etc). The target date for the vessel cleanup/preparation completion is expected to be July 31st. with a two week fall back window to August 15 (end of the dock rental contract with Texas Dock and Rail).
The vessel was inspected by FWC liaison Jon Dodrill and Escambia County Representative Robert Turpin on June 23-24, 2004 (They participated in a 50% completion inspection on May 5, 2004). As of June 24th, the Navy's contract manager reported vessel cleanup as 86% complete. FWC and Escambia County requested additional work to be performed on the island superstructure to remove electrical cable, windows, doors and hatches and other items that could be considered potential diver hazards in the superstructure area of the ship that would be within the recreational diving limits (130 feet depth-to flight deck). In mid June a team of Navy divers checked the vessel's hull, made one very minor repair (small patch) and reported the Oriskany hull to be sound.
The Navy has had a full time manager on site since the vessel arrived in the yard at Corpus Christi. He oversees the day to day progress on cleaning the vessel
No exact tow date for the Oriskany's movement to Pensacola has been set. According to the navy's current projected schedule we anticipate that the vessel will be towed to Pensacola sometime between July 31st and August 15. Once the vessel arrives in Pensacola there will be a final inspection by the Environmental Protection Agency. Any accompanying final cleanup details will be addressed in Pensacola while the vessel is berthed there for up to four weeks.
The proposal by the Navy to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to leave on board certain materials containing solid polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at levels at or above 50 parts per million (50 ppm) has triggered an EPA requirement for the Navy to provide an Oriskany specific Supplemental Human Health Risk Assessment. PCBs are a very stable heat resistant product used in various commercial applications between the 1930s and about 1975 when PCB production was banned in the U.S. PCBs also tend to persist in the environment, are lipophilic (accumulate in tissues with high fat content), and readily adsorb to suspended particulates and bottom sediment. (EPA, 1993)
On military ships PCBs appeared in materials such as cable insulation, rubber products including door and ventilation gaskets, paint, and bulkhead insulation where fire retardant properties were required. On the Oriskany about 95 % by weight of the PCBs are tied up in the estimated 403,600 pounds of electrical cable insulation, running for scores of linear miles throughout all Oriskany deck levels. The second largest solid PCB contributor (3% by weight) where some (but not all) samples indicated PCB levels above 50 ppm was in the bulkhead insulation. An estimated 115, 697 lbs of bulkhead insulation remain on board throughout the ship. The navy is proposing to leave most of these materials onboard due to the fact that it would not be cost effective for them to remove these materials. Under a scenario of removing 5% of the paint, 10% of the bulkhead insulation and 10% of the wiring, an estimated 738-1385 lbs of solid PCBs would remain (Pape, 2004). The Navy must secure a risk based disposal authorization from EPA Region 4 in order to proceed with the sinking process. EPA is currently evaluating a supplemental human health risk assessment (SHHRA) developed by the Navy for the Oriskany
Tentatively scheduled for August 10, 2004 in Pensacola the EPA with the assistance of Navy, FWC and Escambia County will hold a public meeting/open house at the Civic Center from 6pm-9pm to present various aspects of the Oriskany project with a focus on interpretation of the human/environmental health risks associated with sinking the vessel. The meeting will be followed by a public comment period on the sinking project to ensure any public concerns are adequately addressed. The actual sinking is expected to take place in late August or early September. The sinking will be a slow seven hour process, intended to place the vessel upright on the sea floor in 212 feet of water so that the top of the superstructure (with radar masts removed) will be about 60 feet below the surface to comply with navigational clearance requirements.
There will be a commemorative ceremony for the Oriskany to be held at the National Naval Air Museum. This is an invitation only ceremony due to limited space and is being organized by Adm. John "Jack" Fetterman, USN ret., executive director of the Naval Air Museum Foundations (850.453.2389). A date and time has not been determined. During the time period the Oriskany is in Pensacola, veterans and their family members may be allowed some very limited access to the vessel. The general public will probably not be allowed to board the Oriskany once it arrives at the Port of Pensacola due to the fact that there will be no electrical power in the vessel's interior passageways and the vessel itself is classified as a construction site.
Additional information on commemorative activity planning related to the Oriskany can be found at www.naspensacola.navy.mil There is a link from that site to the Navy's site which provides background information on the Oriskany. Since tow, sink, and commemorative event dates remain tentative, further information on timelines as the project moves forward can be obtained from the Pensacola Naval Air Station Public Affairs Office (850.452.2311; contact Harry White). Harry.White@navy.mil
Other contacts:
Jon Dodrill, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission: (850.922.4340 x 209). Jon.Dodrill@fwc.state.fl.us <mailto:Jon.Dodrill@fwc.state.fl.us>
Robert Turpin, Escambia County Division of Marine Resources (850.554.5869)
Robert_Turpin@co.escambia.fl.us
Rick
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