Ship-Submarine Recycling Program
The Ship/Submarine Recycling Program (SRP) is the process the United States Navy uses to dispose of decommissioned nuclear vessels. SRP takes place only at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (PSNS) in Bremerton, Washington, but the preparations can begin elsewhere.
Additional recommended knowledge
SRP
Before SRP can begin, the ship or submarine must have her nuclear fuel removed. Defueling usually coincides with decommissioning. Prior to that event, the vessel is referred to as "USS Name," but afterward the "USS" is dropped and it is referred to as "ex-Name." Defueling of submarines is carried out at five ship repair facilities on the West Coast, and the hulks are then towed to PSNS. Reusable equipment is removed at the same time as the fuel.
Spent nuclear fuel is shipped by rail to the Naval Reactor Facility in the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL), located 67 kilometers (42 miles) northwest of Idaho Falls, Idaho, where it is stored. The fuel is not reprocessed.
At PSNS the SRP proper begins. A submarine is cut into three or four pieces: the aft section, the reactor compartment, the missile compartment if one exists, and the forward section. Missile compartments are dismantled according to the provisions of the Strategic Arms Reductions Treaty. Reactor compartments are sealed at both ends and shipped by barge and multiple-wheel high-capacity trailers to the Department of Energy's Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington state where they are slated to be buried. Related photographs:
- See photo here of 71 such reactor compartments in open-air storage.
- Demonstrating the rapid growth in submarine recycling, see photo here showing 114 reactor compartments in open-air storage.
The burial trenches have been evaluated to be secure for at least 600 years before the first pinhole penetration of some lead containment areas of the reactor compartment packages occurs, and several thousand years before leakage becomes possible.[citation needed]
Until 1991, the forward and aft sections of the submarines were rejoined and placed in floating storage. Various proposals for disposal of those hulks were considered, including sinking them at sea, but none were economically practical. All required removal of the numerous polychlorinated biphenyl products (PCBs) on board, which are considered hazardous materials by the Environmental Protection Agency and United States Coast Guard. In order to reduce the costs, the remaining submarine sections are recycled, returning reusable materials to production. In the process of submarine recycling, all hazardous and toxic wastes are identified and removed, reusable equipment is removed and put into inventory. Scrap metals and all other materials are sold to private companies or reused. The overall process is not profitable, but does provide some cost relief. Disposal of submarines by the SRP costs the US$25-50 million per submarine.
By the end of 2005, 195 nuclear submarines had been ordered or built in the US (including the NR-1 Deep Submergence Craft and Virginia, but none of the later Virginias). The last of the regular Sturgeon attack boats, L. Mendel Rivers was decommissioned in 2001, and Parche, a highly-modified Sturgeon, was decommissioned in 2004. The last of the "41 for Freedom", Kamehameha was decommissioned in 2002. Decommissioning of the Los Angeles boats began in 1995 with the Baton Rouge. Additionally, a handful of nuclear powered cruisers have entered the program, and their dismantlement is ongoing. Note that the United States operates nuclear powered aircraft carriers, but as of 2007 no nuclear powered carrier has been decommissioned. Hulks waiting or already processed by the recycling program include:
Cruisers
Ship Name (Hull Number)
| Start Date
| Completion Date
|
ex-Long Beach (CGN-9)
| 1 May 2009[1]
| Not started
|
ex-Bainbridge (CGN/DLGN-25)
| 1 October 1997
| 30 October 1999
|
ex-Truxtun (CGN/DLGN-35)
| 1 October 1997
| 28 April 1999
|
ex-California (CGN/DLGN-36)
| 1 October 1998
| 12 May 2000
|
ex-South Carolina (CGN/DLGN-37)
| 1 October 2007[2]
| Not started
|
ex-Virginia (CGN-38)
| 1 October 1999
| 25 September 2002
|
ex-Texas (CGN-39)
| 1 October 1999
| 30 October 2001
|
ex-Mississippi (CGN-40)
| 1 October 2004[1]
| Ongoing[1]
|
ex-Arkansas (CGN-41)
| Unknown
| 1 November 1999
|
Attack Submarines
Note that some of these submarines (the George Washington class) were fleet ballistic missile boats for the vast majority of their careers. However, they were briefly converted to SSNs before decommissioning and arrival at PSNS, and so are listed under that designation here.
Ship Name (Hull Number)
| Start Date
| Completion Date
|
ex-Seawolf (SSN-575)
| 1 October 1996
| 30 September 1997
|
ex-Skate (SSN-578)
| 14 April 1994
| 6 March 1995
|
ex-Swordfish (SSN-579)
| Unknown
| 11 September 1995
|
ex-Sargo (SSN-583)
| 14 April 1994
| 5 April 1995
|
ex-Seadragon (SSN-584)
| 1 October 1994
| 18 September 1995
|
ex-Skipjack (SSN-585)
| 17 March 1996
| 1 September 1998
|
ex-Triton (SSN-586)
| 1 October 2007[1]
| Ongoing
|
ex-Halibut (SSN-587)
| 12 July 1993
| 9 September 1994
|
ex-Scamp (SSN-588)
| 1990
| 9 September 1994 (the first)
|
ex-Sculpin (SSN-590)
| 1 October 2000
| 30 October 2001
|
ex-Shark (SSN-591)
| 1 October 1995
| 28 June 1996
|
ex-Snook (SSN-592)
| 1 October 1996
| 30 June 1997
|
ex-Permit (SSN-594)
| 30 September 1991
| 20 May 1993
|
ex-Plunger (SSN-595)
| 5 January 1995
| 8 March 1996
|
ex-Barb (SSN-596)
| Unknown
| 14 March 1996
|
ex-Tullibee (SSN-597)
| 5 January 1995
| 1 April 1996
|
ex-George Washington (SSBN/SSN-598)
| Unknown
| 30 September 1998
|
ex-Patrick Henry (SSBN/SSN-599)
| 1 October 1996
| 31 August 1997
|
ex-Robert E. Lee (SSBN/SSN-601)
| Unknown
| 30 September 1991
|
ex-Pollack (SSN-603)
| 9 February 1993
| 17 February 1995
|
ex-Haddo (SSN-604)
| Unknown
| 30 June 1992
|
ex-Jack (SSN-605)
| Unknown
| 30 June 1992
|
ex-Tinosa (SSN-606)
| 15 July 1991
| 26 June 1992
|
ex-Dace (SSN-607)
| Unknown
| 1 January 1997
|
ex-Ethan Allen (SSBN/SSN-608)
| Unknown
| 30 July 1999
|
ex-Sam Houston (SSBN/SSN-609)
| 1 March 1991
| 3 February 1992
|
ex-Thomas A. Edison (SSBN/SSN-610)
| 1 October 1996
| 1 December 1997
|
ex-John Marshall (SSBN/SSN-611)
| 22 July 1992
| 29 March 1993
|
ex-Guardfish (SSN-612)
| Unknown
| 9 July 1992
|
ex-Flasher (SSN-613)
| Unknown
| 11 May 1994
|
ex-Greenling (SSN-614)
| 30 September 1993
| 18 April 1994
|
ex-Gato (SSN-615)
| Unknown
| 1 November 1996
|
ex-Haddock (SSN-621)
| 1 October 2000
| 1 October 2001
|
ex-Sturgeon (SSN-637)
| Unknown
| 11 December 1995 †
|
ex-Whale (SSN-638)
| 20 October 1995
| 1 July 1996
|
ex-Tautog (SSN-639)
| 15 March 2003[1]
| 30 September 2004[1]
|
ex-Kamehameha (SSBN/SSN-642)
| 1 October 2001
| 28 February 2003
|
ex-James K. Polk (SSBN/SSN-645)
| 16 February 1999
| 15 July 2000
|
ex-Grayling (SSN-646)
| 18 July 1997
| 31 March 1998
|
ex-Pogy (SSN-647)
| 4 January 1999
| 12 April 2000
|
ex-Aspro (SSN-648)
| 1 October 1999
| 3 November 2000
|
ex-Sunfish (SSN-649)
| Unknown
| 31 October 1997
|
ex-Pargo (SSN-650)
| 1 October 1994
| 15 October 1996
|
ex-Queenfish (SSN-651)
| 1 May 1992
| 7 April 1993
|
ex-Puffer (SSN-652)
| 20 October 1995
| 12 July 1996
|
ex-Ray (SSN-653)
| 15 March 2002
| 30 July 2003
|
ex-Sand Lance (SSN-660)
| 1 April 1998
| 30 August 1999
|
ex-Lapon (SSN-661)
| 15 March 2003[1]
| 30 November 2004[1]
|
ex-Gurnard (SSN-662)
| Unknown
| 15 October 1996
|
ex-Hammerhead (SSN-663)
| Unknown
| 22 November 1995
|
ex-Sea Devil (SSN-664)
| 1 March 1998
| 7 September 1999
|
ex-Guitarro (SSN-665)
| Unknown
| 18 October 1994
|
ex-Hawkbill (SSN-666)
| 1 October 1999
| 1 December 2000 †
|
ex-Bergall (SSN-667)
| Unknown
| 29 September 1997
|
ex-Spadefish (SSN-668)
| 1 October 1996
| 24 October 1997
|
ex-Seahorse (SSN-669)
| 1 March 1995
| 30 September 1996
|
ex-Finback (SSN-670)
| Unknown
| 30 October 1997
|
ex-Narwhal (SSN-671)
| 1 June 2015[2]
| (museum plans failed; see article)
|
ex-Pintado (SSN-672)
| 1 October 1997
| 27 October 1998
|
ex-Flying Fish (SSN-673)
| Unknown
| 15 October 1996
|
ex-Trepang (SSN-674)
| 4 January 1999
| 7 April 2000
|
ex-Bluefish (SSN-675)
| 15 March 2002
| 1 November 2003
|
ex-Billfish (SSN-676)
| Unknown
| 26 April 2000
|
ex-Drum (SSN-677)
| 1 December 2008[2]
| Not started
|
ex-Archerfish (SSN-678)
| Unknown
| 6 November 1998
|
ex-Silversides (SSN-679)
| 1 October 2000
| 1 October 2001
|
ex-William H. Bates (SSN-680)
| 1 October 2002
| 30 October 2002
|
ex-Batfish (SSN-681)
| Unknown
| 22 November 2002
|
ex-Tunny (SSN-682)
| 1 October 1997
| 27 October 1998
|
ex-Parche (SSN-683)
| 30 September 2004‡[1]
| 30 November 2006[2]
|
ex-Cavalla (SSN-684)
| 1 October 1999
| 16 November 2000
|
ex-Glenard P. Lipscomb (SSN-685)
| Unknown
| 1 December 1997
|
ex-L. Mendel Rivers (SSN-686)
| 29 November 2000
| 19 July 2002
|
ex-Richard B. Russell (SSN-687)
| 1 October 2001
| 19 September 2002
|
ex-Los Angeles (SSN-688)
| 1 June 2018[2]
| Not started
|
ex-Baton Rouge (SSN-689)
| 13 January 1995
| 30 September 1997
|
ex-Philadelphia (SSN-690)
| 1 September 2019[2]
| Not started
|
ex-Memphis (SSN-691)
| 14 December 2010[1]
| Not started
|
ex-Omaha (SSN-692)
| 1 October 2009[2]
| Not started
|
ex-Cincinnati (SSN-693)
| 1 October 2009[2]
| Not started
|
ex-Groton (SSN-694)
| 1 June 2012[2]
| Not started
|
ex-Birmingham (SSN-695)
| 1 June 2012[2]
| Not started
|
ex-New York City (SSN-696)
| 1 June 2011[2]
| Not started
|
ex-Indianapolis (SSN-697)
| 1 October 2013[2]
| Not started
|
ex-Bremerton (SSN-698)
| 13 February 2014[2]
| Not started
|
ex-Jacksonville (SSN-699)
| 31 March 2014[2]
| Not started
|
ex-Dallas (SSN-700)
| 26 June 2014[2]
| Not started
|
ex-La Jolla (SSN-701)
| 30 September 2014[2]
| Not started
|
ex-Phoenix (SSN-702)
| 1 June 2013[2]
| Not started
|
ex-Boston (SSN-703)
| 1 October 2001
| 19 September 2002 †
|
ex-Baltimore (SSN-704)
| 1 June 2013[2]
| Not started
|
ex-City of Corpus Christi (SSN-705)
| 24 November 2015[2]
| Not started
|
ex-Albuquerque (SSN-706)
| 14 April 2016[2]
| Not started
|
ex-Portsmouth (SSN-707)
| 1 June 2015[2]
| Not started
|
ex-Minneapolis-St. Paul (SSN-708)
| 1 June 2018[2]
| Not started
|
ex-Hyman G. Rickover (SSN-709)
| 30 September 2016[2]
| Not started
|
ex-Augusta (SSN-710)
| 1 September 2019[2]
| Not started
|
ex-San Francisco (SSN-711)
| 1 November 2017[2]
| Not started
|
ex-Atlanta (SSN-712)
| 1 October 2013[2]
| Not started
|
ex-Houston (SSN-713)
| 21 September 2015[2]
| Not started
|
ex-Norfolk (SSN-714)
| 7 May 2016[2]
| Not started
|
ex-Salt Lake City (SSN-716)
| 30 September 2015[2]
| Not started
|
ex-Honolulu (SSN-718)
| 1 November 2006[2]
| Ongoing
|
† A dagger after a completion date indicates that portions of the hulk were preserved as memorials. See the individual articles for details.
‡ Date given for ex-Parche is official date used to secure FY2004 funding; work did not begin until 19 October.[1]
Ballistic Missile Submarines
Note that some of these submarines (the Lafayette class) were fleet ballistic missile boats for the vast majority of their careers. However, they were converted to SSNs for use as moored training platforms and are not currently scheduled for recycling.
Ship Name (Hull Number)
| Start Date
| Completion Date
|
See Attack Submarines - (SSBN/SSN-598)
| n/a
| n/a
|
See Attack Submarines - (SSBN/SSN-599)
| n/a
| n/a
|
ex-Theodore Roosevelt (SSBN-600)
| unknown
| 24 March 1995
|
See Attack Submarines - (SSBN/SSN-601)
| n/a
| n/a
|
ex-Abraham Lincoln (SSBN-602)
| unknown
| 5 May 1994
|
See Attack Submarines - (SSBN/SSN-608)
| n/a
| n/a
|
See Attack Submarines - (SSBN/SSN-609)
| n/a
| n/a
|
See Attack Submarines - (SSBN/SSN-610)
| n/a
| n/a
|
See Attack Submarines - (SSBN/SSN-611)
| n/a
| n/a
|
ex-Lafayette (SSBN-616)
| 1 March 1991
| 25 February 1992
|
ex-Alexander Hamilton (SSBN-617)
| 23 February 1993
| 28 February 1994
|
ex-Thomas Jefferson (SSBN-618)
| 1 October 1996
| 6 March 1998
|
ex-Andrew Jackson (SSBN-619)
| unknown
| 30 August 1999
|
ex-John Adams (SSBN-620)
| unknown
| 12 February 1996
|
ex-James Monroe (SSBN-622)
| unknown
| 10 January 1995
|
ex-Nathan Hale (SSBN-623)
| 2 October 1991
| 5 April 1995
|
ex-Woodrow Wilson (SSBN-624)
| 26 September 1997
| 27 October 1998
|
ex-Henry Clay (SSBN-625)
| unknown
| 30 September 1997
|
ex-Daniel Webster (MTS-626)
| refit (training vessel)
| n/a
|
ex-James Madison (SSBN-627)
| unknown
| 24 October 1997
|
ex-Tecumseh (SSBN-628)
| 15 February 1993
| 1 April 1994
|
ex-Daniel Boone (SSBN-629)
| unknown
| 4 November 1994
|
ex-John C. Calhoun (SSBN-630)
| unknown
| 18 November 1994
|
ex-Ulysses S. Grant (SSBN-631)
| unknown
| 23 October 1993
|
ex-Von Steuben (SSBN-632)
| 1 October 2000
| 30 October 2001
|
ex-Casimir Pulaski (SSBN-633)
| unknown
| 21 October 1994
|
ex-Stonewall Jackson (SSBN-634)
| unknown
| 13 October 1995
|
ex-Sam Rayburn (MTS-635)
| refit (training vessel)
| n/a
|
ex-Nathanael Greene (SSBN-636)
| 1 September 1998
| 20 October 2000
|
ex-Benjamin Franklin (SSBN-640)
| unknown
| 21 August 1995
|
ex-Simon Bolivar (SSBN-641)
| 1 October 1994
| 1 December 1995
|
ex-George Bancroft (SSBN-643)
| unknown
| 30 March 1998
|
ex-Lewis and Clark (SSBN-644)
| 1 October 1995
| 23 September 1996
|
ex-George C. Marshall (SSBN-654)
| unknown
| 28 February 1994
|
ex-Henry L. Stimson (SSBN-655)
| unknown
| 12 August 1994
|
ex-George Washington Carver (SSBN-656)
| unknown
| 21 March 1994
|
ex-Francis Scott Key (SSBN-657)
| unknown
| 1 September 1995
|
ex-Mariano G. Vallejo (SSBN-658)
| 1 October 1994
| 22 December 1995
|
ex-Will Rogers (SSBN-659)
| 12 April 1993
| 12 August 1994
|
Because the program is underway, this list is almost certainly incomplete.
Note for ships marked with refit:
Sam Rayburn (SSBN-635) was converted into a training platform — Moored Training Ship (MTS-635). Sam Rayburn arrived for conversion on 1 February 1986, and on 29 July 1989 the first Moored Training Ship achieved initial criticality. Modifications included special mooring arrangements including a mechanism to absorb power generated by the main propulsion shaft. Daniel Webster (SSBN-626) was converted to the second Moored Training Ship (MTS-2 / MTS-626) in 1993. The Moored Training Ship Site is located at Naval Weapons Station Charleston in Goose Creek, South Carolina. Sam Rayburn is scheduled to operate as an MTS until 2014 while undergoing shipyard availabilities at four year intervals.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Morison, Samuel Loring (December 2006). "U.S. Naval Battle Force Changes". Proceedings of the Naval Institute 132 (12): 59–60. ISSN 0041-798X. Retrieved on 2006-12-07.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad Morison, Samuel Loring (May 2007). "U.S. Naval Battle Force Changes". Proceedings of the Naval Institute 133 (5): 111. ISSN 0041-798X. Retrieved on 2007-05-28.
Life Cycle of a Navy Ship
|
Service Life
|
Ship naming and launching | Ship commissioning | Ship decommissioning
|
After Decommissioning
|
Reserve fleet | Scrapping | Recycling | Scuttling or Weapons testing | Museum ship
|
|
|