停泊在舊金山灣52艘廢棄船隻的去向如何，3月31日終於有了定案：未來將交由這批「幽靈艦隊」的主管單位美國海事局，負責後續的移除工作。
長期以來有關這批「幽靈艦隊」的爭議不斷，事涉美國聯邦海事局與環保團體自然資源保護委員會、Arc Ecology、舊金山灣守護協會(San Francisco Baykeeper)和舊金山灣區域水質管理委員會之間長期爭訟的官司，各方團體31日在沙加緬度的聯邦法院擬出一份和解協議，為此訟案畫下句點。
這份和解協議還必須等待法院批准，內容包括：海事局要移除所有幽靈艦隊裡的船艦（艦隊的正式名稱為休森灣後備艦隊）。從狀況最糟的船艦開始處理，時限是2017年前要完成。幽靈艦隊現停泊在休森海灣 (Suisun Bay)，在沙加緬度聖華金三角洲(Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta)的西邊下游。
海事局從2009年11月已經開始回收及移除四艘休森海灣的廢棄船隻，現已開始進行第五艘。
美國運輸部長拉戶德（Ray LaHood）說：「這份和解協議實踐了歐巴馬政府的承諾，即和當地人民合作，共同為更好的環境努力。」
這份協議也概要提出海事局的責任：在2012年9月30日前會移除20艘狀況最惡劣的船隻。而在正式移除前，船隻會被送到當地的乾船塢，清潔船身上的海底生物、及船鄰近區域的油漆碎屑。所有掉落在基地的船隻油漆屑都必須在兩年內清理乾淨，並且在2017年9月30日前從艦隊中移除。
除此之外，海事局每90天必須清理船身一次，以避免油漆屑剝離入海裡。每個月和每季都要抽驗水質，船身會嚴重落屑的船隻不許停泊在此基地。
海事局要在120天內移除船艙甲板掉落的大量油漆碎片，在明年九月前，則要趁25艘狀況最差的船隻停在乾船塢裡時，清除這些船隻的外部落屑。
依據海事局委託的調查，超過20噸的重金屬，包括鉛、鋅、銅和鎘，已經被風雨沖刷到水裡。如果沒有清理乾淨，這些船隻預估在未來還將會剝離另外50噸的重金屬。
自然資源保護委員會資深律師沃爾（Michael Wall）表示：「舊金山灣不應該被當成毒物的廢棄廠，清理移除這些船隻是自然環境和我們加州人民的大勝利。」
舊金山灣區域水質管理委員會執行委員沃弗(Bruce Wolfe) 說：「這份訴訟和解表示，依據聯邦政府《淨水法》（Clean Water Act)，海事局終於要和將近4000個海灣區域的民間及政府機構一起保育海灣環境，這份協議劃定了明確的時程。」
休森灣棲息了數種瀕臨絕跡的生物，像是契努克鮭魚(chinook salmon)和三角胡瓜魚(delta smelt)。因為休森灣的污染程度嚴重，使得加州政府已警告當地居民要節制食用此地的魚產。Arc Ecology執行長布魯(Saul Bloom) 說：「今天我們終於使訴訟化為改善水質的實際行動，並且讓海事局雇用當地居民來清潔這幾十年來因其疏忽而造成的環境污染。」
海事局局長松田(David Matsuda) 說：「我們會迅速行動，從污染最嚴重的船隻開始。」
在休森灣儲備艦隊基地停泊船隻，有國防和戒嚴的考量。留下來的其他船隻也仍會繼續保留在海事局其他兩個艦隊基地，維吉尼亞的詹姆士河(James River) 和德州波蒙特(Beaumont)。
The U.S. Maritime Administration, MARAD, the federal agency responsible for San Francisco Bay's ghost fleet, agreed today to remove the 52 obsolete ships that are currently moored there as part of a legal settlement with environmental groups.
A settlement agreement filed today in federal court in Sacramento resolves a long legal battle over the decaying fleet between MARAD and the Natural Resources Defense Council, Arc Ecology, San Francisco Baykeeper, and the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board.
Under the settlement, which must be approved by the court, MARAD will remove all of the vessels in the ghost fleet, formally called the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet, for disposal by September 2017, starting with the worst ships first. The ghost fleet is moored in Suisun Bay, just west and downstream of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
MARAD has already begun removing obsolete ships from Suisun Bay for recycling, including four ships that have been removed since November 2009 and a fifth that was removed today.
"This agreement reflects the Obama Administration's pledge to work with our local partners toward a common goal of better protecting the environment," said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood.
The agreement outlines MARAD's commitment to remove 20 of the ships that are in the poorest condition before September 30, 2012. Before their removal, these ships will be sent to a local dry dock for cleaning that involves removing marine growth from the underwater hull and removing flaking paint from areas above the water. All other ships at the site will be cleaned of flaking paint within two years and removed from the fleet by September 30, 2017.
Additionally, MARAD will clean the horizontal surfaces of the ships every 90 days to prevent peeling paint from dropping into the water, inspect the ships on a monthly and quarterly basis and collect water runoff samples for testing. No new ships with excess flaking will be admitted to the site.
MARAD will get rid of the piles of hazardous paint chips from vessel decks within 120 days and, by September of next year, clean all peeling paint from the exteriors of the 25 worst ships while in dry dock.
More than 20 tons of heavy metals, including lead, zinc, copper and cadmium, have already fallen, blown or washed off the ships into the water, according to a MARAD-commissioned analysis. If not cleaned up, the vessels were projected to lose as much as an additional 50 tons of heavy metals in the future.
Michael Wall, senior attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council, said, "The San Francisco Bay should never have been a dumping ground for toxic waste. Getting these ships cleaned up and removed is a huge victory for our environment and the people of California."
Bruce Wolfe, executive officer of the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board said, "Settling this litigation means that, at long last, MARAD will join nearly 4,000 other Bay Area businesses and government agencies in complying with the federal Clean Water Act and working to preserve and protect the Bay."
Suisun Bay is critical habitat for several endangered and threatened species, including Chinook salmon and delta smelt. The state of California has warned residents to limit consumption of fish caught in Suisun Bay due to pollution levels.
Saul Bloom, executive director, Arc Ecology,said, "Today we turn from litigation to the implementation of an agreement that will improve water quality and is already employing Bay Area residents as MARAD cleans away the decades of neglect that lead us to this point."
MARAD Acting Administrator David Matsuda said, "We are moving expeditiously to remove the worst-polluting ships first."
The Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet Site serves as a reserve of ships for national defense and national emergency purposes. Reserve ships will continue to be maintained at MARAD's two other fleet storage sites in James River, Virginia and Beaumont, Texas.
作者
In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
