THE US Transportation Department is scrapping old unwanted ships in the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet in California faster than planned, reports American Shipper.

Since the Maritime Administration announced in 2010 that it would remove 28 ships from the fleet by September 30, some 36 ships have been removed, and three more are scheduled for removal by the end of the year.

 "Removing these vessels restores the beauty of the bay and supports area jobs connected with the removal and recycling of the ships. Three years ago, the Department of Transportation promised to get rid of the ships that posed a threat to the environment, and I am proud to announce that we are delivering on that promise," said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, whose Obama administration is trailing in the polls in the current election campaign.

 In October 2009, MarAd unveiled a plan to award contracts to prioritise removing the most hazardous ships from the bay and improve cleaning methods for the rest. Out of an original fleet of 57 ships, 21 now remain. MarAd said all of them will be removed by October 2017. In recent years, MarAd has sold 15 vessels for recycling.

 In addition to the vessels removed from Suisun Bay, 11 ships have been taken out of the Beaumont and James River fleets since October 2009.

(Source:shipping online)