Karl Herchenroeder
RW Monitor
2/5/2016

A potential equipment mismatch is likely to mean increased cost and an extended deadline for the estimated $34.6 million decommissioning of the STURGIS barge, a project that was suspended in January.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Baltimore District project manager Brenda Barber said Monday that an 80-ton crane might not be compatible with the surrounding dock at Port of Galveston, Texas, where the STURGIS arrived in late April. Engineers are weighing potential safety issues concerning the load-bearing capacity of the aging dock, which Barber said might need “minor repairs” before work resumes. While decommissioning was scheduled to wrap up in November 2016, that date could be pushed back, as safety verification will take at least a month, Barber said.

“We’re verifying the load-bearing capacity of the dock to ensure that when the crane is under load, that there is no failure,” Barber said. “It’s a safety issue, a validation of the engineering calculations and plans to ensure that when we move to implementation, there’s no failure point. (It’s) an 80-ton lift, so we don’t want to proceed unless we can ensure that we can do the work safely.”

The issue with the crane, which is needed to lift and remove large components from the STURGIS, is already resulting in increased costs. Barber said USACE is discussing the impact with contractor CB&I Federal Services. Updated information is expected when work resumes in the barge. She said the USACE anticipates a fluctuation in cost but declined to offer an estimate.

“That work is in progress now, and we anticipate that we’ll be ready to resume at the end of February, potentially early March, and get back to normal site operation,” Barber said. “At that time we’ll provide an updated schedule … once we can resume work and we can establish if there are any major impacts to the schedule.”

The STURGIS, which was the world’s first floating atomic energy facility, was towed 1,750 miles from the James River Reserve Fleet in Virginia to the Port of Galveston in 2015. The onetime World War II Liberty Ship produced energy for military and civilian purposes in the Panama Canal during the 1960s. Its reactor was shut down in 1976.

The crane in question was delivered in mid-November. Barber said USACE believes it has the correct crane, but as crews prepared to use it, issues arose when verifying engineering documents. Safety is the driving component, Barber said, adding that the contractor is working with the shipyard manager, Malin International, on technical verifications. USACE briefed the Galveston City Council on Thursday, and Barber said feedback was “neutral.”

“They didn’t really note or voice any concerns at that time,” Barber said. “It’s likely when we do an updated schedule we may hear some additional feedback at that time. At this time we’ve gotten no negative feedback from any of the local stakeholders.”

Barber said the crane issue has not impacted the process or schedule of radioactive contaminant monitoring at the site. The barge’s cargo likely includes asbestos, lead-based paints, and elemental lead used in shielding, in addition to radioactive waste, according to project materials. Barber said staff is continuing its daily and weekly monitoring.

“There’s been no evidence of radioactivity or any contaminants in our monitoring efforts,” Barber said.