South Carolina to remove toxic waste from historic World War II aircraft carrier
South Carolina officials are preparing to remove over 1.2 million gallons of toxic waste from a World War II aircraft carrier in Charleston Harbor
MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. — More toxic waste will be extracted from a World War II aircraft carrier in Charleston Harbor to prevent leakage that would imperil the commercial shipping industry and coastal ecosystems central to the South Carolina port city's identity.
The removal of over 1.2 million gallons (4.5 million liters) of petroleum and other hazards is part of an $18 million remediation effort for the USS Yorktown, which powered through tours in the Pacific Ocean and off Vietnam before the U.S. Navy donated the decommissioned ship in 1975. The waterfront attraction at Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum has since become one of South Carolina’s most popular tourist stops, but the increased potential for leaky tanks poses a threat to the surrounding waters.
The USS Yorktown should be known for concepts like duty and honor, not “dirty, harmful, cleanup,” Robert Boyles, director of the state's natural resources department, said at a Tuesday news conference.
State officials long declined to allocate funds toward mitigating the environmental hazard, even after a 2013 Patriots Point Development Authority study estimated that the USS Yorktown had amassed some 1.6 million gallons of toxic waste. The risk of pollution grew as saltwater corroded the hull of the ship, lodged offshore in the mud.
The South Carolina Office of Resilience began the removal process in 2022 using federal relief funds under an executive order signed by Republican Gov. Henry McMaster. Officials have since identified more than 400 onboard tanks that still hold bulk liquids — including 65,000 gallons of
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