Nuclear-reactor ship headed to Galveston to be scrapped

GALVESTON, TX -- The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers recently announced plans to tow a World War II-era Liberty ship converted to a barge-mounted nuclear reactor to Galveston from Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia to be scrapped. The barge is expected to arrive at the Malin International Shipyard in mid-December.

Following a comprehensive environmental assessment completed last April, a $34.66 million contract was signed with CB&I (Chicago Bridge and Iron) Federal Services to oversee the process of safely removing the radioactive metal from the ship and placing it in special containers for transfer to a low-level radioactive waste storage facility.

The entire process is expected to less than four years, but the details of the scrapping operation once the USS Sturgis arrives in Galveston have not been finalized, officials said.

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