MARAD sells ships for recycling

Archiv – The US Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) has sold two obsolete vessels for recycling. Southern Scrap Material Company, LLC (SSMC) of New Orleans has paid US$ 50 000 apiece for the ’Allison Lykes’ and ’Mallory Lykes’, both of which are from the National Defense Reserve Fleet at Beaumont in Texas.The US Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) has sold two obsolete vessels for recycling. Southern Scrap Material Company, LLC (SSMC) of New Orleans has paid US$ 50 000 apiece for the ’Allison Lykes’ and ’Mallory Lykes’, both of which are from the National Defense Reserve Fleet at Beaumont in Texas.
Built in the mid-1960s, the cargo ships were scheduled to leave the fleet site for New Orleans during the last week of June. ’MARAD is taking advantage of the high global prices for recycled steel to get the best bargain for the American taxpayer,’ says Acting Deputy Maritime Administrator Julie Nelson. Noting that MARAD has often had to pay to have ships recycled, she adds: ’We look forward to more such sales in the near future.’
This is the first MARAD contract for SSMC which, like many other Louisiana businesses, was hard hit by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. SSMC President Joel Dupré comments: ’All of us are looking forward to getting back to a pre-Katrina business atmosphere. We expect the federal vessels we buy to help us achieve that goal.’
MARAD maintains three National Defense Reserve Fleet sites, holding a reserve of ships for defence and national emergencies. When ships are no longer considered useful for defence or aid missions, MARAD arranges for their responsible disposal.