The cost to decommission and dismantle the STURGIS barge is estimated to grow from $34.6 million to $51.5 million, resulting in part from compatibility issues between a 440-ton crane and the surrounding dock, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced this week.
The timeline for completion of the project has also been pushed back an entire year, from fall 2016 to fall 2017. The STURGIS, a onetime World War II Liberty Ship that was fitted with a nuclear reactor that powered military and civilian operations in the Panama Canal during the 1960s, contains low-level radioactive waste. The ship arrived at the Port of Galveston, Texas, in April 2015, after being towed about 1,700 miles from the James River Reserve Fleet in Virginia.
The Army Corps of Engineers, which is leading the decommissioning, suspended work on the barge in February to address the equipment mismatch, with engineers raising concerns that the crane could not handle the heavier loads associated with project. Crews resumed work on Monday, after the Corps conducted a load test with the crane on Saturday and verified that all operational concerns had been addressed.
Corps officials did not provide responses when asked to elaborate on what decisions led to the equipment mismatch and how much of the cost increase is directly attributable to the crane issue. Spokesman Chris Gardner said that project lead, USACE Baltimore District manager Brenda Barber, was not available for comment.
The Corps’ announcement explains that the increase in time to implement the project, coupled with operational delays, contributed to the increased price tag. Other budget impacts include “additional complexities to engineer and implement the project,” decreased value of scrap for the vessel, discovery of some “unanticipated lead based paint,” and additional towing costs earlier in the project. Officials did not elaborate on queries about the paint or additional towing costs.
The Corps noted that there has been no evidence of radioactive material or increased radiation exposure from the STURGIS outside the reactor containment area.
