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ex-Oriskany Arrives in Pensacola

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS050113-05
Release Date: 1/13/2005 8:03:00 AM

By Sheri L. Crowe, Naval Air Station Pensacola Public Affairs

NAVAL AIR STATION PENSACOLA, Fla. (NNS) -- The 888-foot former aircraft carrier Oriskany (CVA 34) - a combat veteran of Korea and Vietnam - made the transit from its remediation site of Corpus Christi, Texas, and arrived at the Port of Pensacola, Fla., Dec. 20, to undergo final preparations for eventual sinking. A firm sink date has not been established.

Oriskany is the Navy's first ship to be sunk under the authority provided under the Fiscal Year 2004 National Defense Authorization Act (Public Law 108-136) and will be the largest ship sunk as an artificial reef.

The Navy recently completed a comprehensive 11-month remediation effort on ex-Oriskany in accordance with the draft Best Management Practices for Preparing Vessels Intended to Create Artificial Reefs. The remediation prepared the ship to be sunk as an artificial reef by removing fuels and oils, loose asbestos-containing material, capacitors, transformers or other liquid polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) components, batteries, HALON, mercury, antifreeze, coolants, fire extinguishing agents, black and gray water, and chromated ballast water.

Additionally, the wood flight deck and underlayment were removed due to high PCB concentrations found after the asphalt protective coating had been removed from the flight deck. These measures will ensure that the ex-Oriskany reef is environmentally safe.

The ship is expected to remain at the Port of Pensacola berth, pending completion of the risk assessment, issuance of sink approval and completion of final sinking preparations.

The Oriskany artificial reef will benefit marine life, commercial and sport fishing and recreational diving off the coast of Florida.

Plans are to sink the vessel approximately 24 miles off the coast of Pensacola and could take place by the end of summer.

When Oriskany made its arrival at Pensacola, Capt. John M. Pruitt Jr., commanding officer, Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola was pierside at the base to see the mighty "O" pass by.

"We went out there and watched Oriskany steam by as it made its way to the Port of Pensacola," he said. "Our Port Operations guys played a big piece in that (Oriskany's arrival) since they escorted ex-Oriskany in. They were critical in getting that ship in to the port."

Following 26 years of service, Oriskany was decommissioned in September 1976. The ship was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register in July 1989 and sold for scrapping in 1994.