Decommissioning work for the STURGIS barge could be on hold another two months, as project coordinators said Monday that they are continuing to experience delays in implementing a solution to a potential equipment mismatch.
Following a holiday break, crews had planned to return to work in February for the estimated $34.6 million decommissioning project in Port of Galveston, Texas. But officials discovered potential compatibility issues between a 440-ton crane and the surrounding dock. At the time, officials estimated that work would resume in early March.
“At the time of our last update, the team was finalizing a solution to resolve the operational issues, however, we are continuing to experience delays with the implementation,” U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Baltimore District project manager Brenda Barber said in a statement Monday. “We anticipate resuming operations in late April or early May.”
Spokesman Chris Gardner said Monday over the phone that he did not have any additional information. The Corps is discussing particulars with the contractor, CB&I Federal Services, he said. Barber noted that there has been no evidence of radioactive material or increased radiation outside the reactor containment area.
The STURGIS, a one-time World War II Liberty Ship that powered military and civilian operations in the Panama Canal during the 1960s, contains low-level radioactive waste. The ship was towed about 1,700 miles from the James River Reserve Fleet in Virginia to the Port of Galveston last year, arriving in late April.
