| Pensacola,
FL � May 2006 � The ex-Oriskany, a decommissioned aircraft carrier, became
the largest ship intentionally sunk as an artificial reef Wednesday (May
17) when it was sunk approximately 24 miles off the coast of Pensacola,
Florida. After 25 years of service to the Navy in operations in Korea,
Vietnam and the Mediterranean, the ex-Oriskany will now benefit marine
life, sport fishing and recreation diving off the coast of the Florida
panhandle.
 The
888-foot ship took about 37 minutes to sink below the surface after strategically
placed explosives were detonated at 10:25 a.m. Central Daylight Time. The
Navy developed an engineered sink plan to place the 32,000 ton ship upright
on the ocean floor in a North-South orientation at an existing artificial
reef site at a depth of approximately 212 feet, as requested by the State
of Florida.
�The
Navy and Florida team performed flawlessly to execute the sinking. The
Navy is thrilled that ex-Oriskany will continue to serve the United States
as a tourist and diving attraction off the coast of Florida,� said Glen
Clark, deputy program manager of the Navy�s Inactive Ships Program Office.
�This is a fitting new beginning for this illustrious ship, and we are
proud of the information she has provided us for the reefing of future
Navy ships as artificial reefs.�
The
Navy has been working with the U.S. Environment Protection Agency, Florida�s
Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Escambia County Marine Resources
Division and the local Pensacola area community since 2003 and has conducted
several scientific studies that demonstrated that ex-Oriskany would create
an environmentally safe artificial reef.
The
ex-Oriskany was the first ship to be environmentally prepared using the
EPA�s �Best Management Practices for Preparing Vessels for Use as Artificial
Reefs,� and is also the first ship to receive a risk-based Polychlorinated
Biphenyl (PCB) disposal approval from the EPA based on the agency�s findings
that the reefing would not pose an unreasonable risk of injury to health
or the environment.
A
few days before the scuttling event, a Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal
team placed explosives and detonation equipment on 22 sea chest pipes and
valves inside the ship, which were armed the morning of the sinking.
|
U.S.S. Oriskany CV/CVA 34
1945-1976
|
Ownership
of the vessel transferred to the state of Florida as the ship landed on
the ocean floor. A 1998 study funded by the state of Florida by researchers
from Florida State University and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) shows that artificial reefs generate more than $92
million dollars in annual spending by locals and visitors in Escambia County.
An additional interpretation by NOAA in 2006 indicates the Oriskany will
add an average of $9 million in annual spending.
The
Navy will start to offer additional ships for artificial reefs later this
year.
For
more information about the Navy�s Inactive Ships Program, visit www.peoships.crane.navy.mil/reefing/oriskany.htm.
The
Pensacola Bay Area Convention & Visitors Bureau directs the tourism
marketing efforts for the Pensacola Bay Area. Representing a total economic
impact of $1 billion in 2005, the tourism industry is a major driver of
the regional economy.
To
request a free Visitors Guide, view a complete calendar of events as well
as travel packages and hot deals currently offered in the area, log on
to www.VisitPensacola.com,
or for more information on the Pensacola Bay Area, call the Pensacola Bay
Area Convention and Visitors Bureau at (800) 874-1234 or (850) 434-1234.
|
Contacts:
Stacy
Garrett Hopper
Pensacola
Bay Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
(800)
874-1234 / (850) 434-1234
or
Ashley
Chisholm
EW
Bullock Associates
(850)
438-4015 |
