Press release:

VANDENBERG SINK DATE POSTPONED

Artificial reef project organizers coordinating the cleanup and sinking of a former United States Air Force missile tracking ship off Key West, Fla., announced a postponement of the scheduled scuttling date Tuesday.

The 524-foot Hoyt S. Vandenberg will not sink May 15 as originally hoped for, said Joe Weatherby of Reefmakers. A new date will be announced in the future, Weatherby said.

“We know many people are planning to travel to Key West for the sinking,î Weatherby said. ìWe want to ensure they understand the ship will not sink May 15.”

Although most of the cleanup has been completed, unanticipated cost overruns are keeping the ship in a Norfolk, Va., shipyard until the yard bill can be satisfied. The yard filed a federal maritime lien to ensure payment is made on their remaining balance of $1.6 million

Key West City Commissioner Bill Verge said that government officials have been actively engaged in discussions with shipyard management; local, state and federal representatives as well as lending institutions endeavoring to arrange a financial solution.

“Right now everyone is trying to work towards the goal of sinking this ship off Key West,” said Verge. “No one wants to see the ship sent to the scrapyard.”

Weatherby blamed skyrocketing fuel costs and unanticipated cleanup challenges as reasons why the project, originally estimated at $5.7 million, now requires another $2.3 million.

The cleanup has been intensive. Begun a year ago, more than 50,000 man-hours of work have been invested to rid the vessel of all environmental hazards. That meant removing paint, stripping out 900,000 feet of wiring potentially containing toxic PCBs (Polychlorinated biphenyls) used in insulation before being banned and off-loading any remaining waste petroleum products.

The end result, project officials say, will be a huge boon to the keys environment and economy.

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