An abandoned Washington state ferry, known as the Olympic, currently leans precariously on the shoreline off Ketron Island in southern Puget Sound. For over 15 years, the ferry has been abandoned, succumbing to nature as rust overtakes its once vibrant forest green paint, a hallmark color of Washington State Ferries. Inside, the ferry has become a shell of its former self, with flaking steel, scattered debris, graffiti-splattered walls, and water that floods the deck during high tide.
Originally sold for $71,000 at a state surplus auction about 25 years ago, the Olympic has been abandoned for so long that its fate remains uncertain, further complicated by bureaucratic and geographic hurdles. Troy Wood, who manages the vessel removal program for the state, notes it surpasses the removal limits set by Washington’s Derelict Vessel Removal Program due to its size of 206 feet, and its presence on private property complicates the legal processes further. The previous promises of the ship’s owner to remove the ferry remain unfulfilled, leading Wood to quip, “This one you’ll be looking at for a long time.”
In a move to revamp its aging fleet, Governor Bob Ferguson recently signed a significant $714.5 million contract to construct three new hybrid-electric ferries, targeting completion by 2030. While the initiative aims to phase out diesel-powered vessels by 2040 to reduce carbon emissions, it unintentionally raises questions about the fate of the old ferries.
As Washington State Ferries prepares to transition its fleet to more environmentally friendly options, concerns loom regarding the environmental implications of disposing of outdated vessels. The prospect of auctioning off these aging ferries poses risks of further environmental harm, potentially perpetuating a cycle of abandonment that could introduce toxic materials into marine ecosystems.
Transporting these old vessels to different facilities is fraught with challenges; doing so without proper cleanup may lead to violations of the Toxic Substances Control Act, enforced by the Environmental Protection Agency. Moreover, shipping ferries to a shipbreaking facility in Brownsville, Texas—located nearly 1,800 miles away—could cost close to $1 million solely in transportation fees.
The issue of aging maritime vessels is not isolated to Washington state; it permeates the entire U.S. West Coast and British Columbia, where a lack of adequate disposal and recycling facilities compounds the environmental threat posed by outdated ships constructed with hazardous materials.
Complications arose recently when Washington attempted to sell two other retired ferries, the Klahowya and Elwha, to Adelca, an Ecuadorian steel manufacturing and recycling enterprise that previously purchased two vessels for $200,000. Despite the potential benefits of dismantling through international sales, the transaction encountered hurdles involving allegations of poor working conditions and compliance with hazardous waste treaties to protect workers in developing countries from exposure to toxic materials.
In fall 2023, the Coast Guard and U.S. Maritime Administration cited these concerns as justifications to delay the sale of the Elwha and Klahowya ferries until Adelca presents a new towing plan. This further complicates the situation if another buyer makes a bid before Adelca submits the necessary documentation. John Vezina, deputy assistant secretary of Washington State Ferries, emphasized the importance of ensuring that future decommissioned ferries do not end up like the Olympic, warning, “We don’t want them on a Washington beach, Oregon beach, California beach, Mexican beach. We need to make sure they can get to Ecuador.”
Advocacy groups focused on international ship recycling caution that shipping the ferries to Ecuador may infringe upon the Toxic Substances Control Act, leading to potential financial penalties or even criminal liability if the materials onboard are found to violate the law. “If you use and profit from an asset for decades, the least you can do is make sure that it reaches the end of its life in a proper way without creating human and environmental costs,” said Nicola Mulinaris, a senior communications and policy advisor for NGO Shipbreaking Platform, which advocates for safer ship recycling practices.
Dilapidated ships such as the Elwha and Klahowya, built prior to the U.S. ban on polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in 1979, likely contain hazardous materials that could complicate their transport and dismantling. The Toxic Substances Control Act necessitates that ships are tested for hazardous materials, including PCBs, before being exported, yet a watchdog group argued that the state of Washington might not have conducted thorough enough tests to adequately demonstrate compliance. The Basel Action Network expressed concern that, even without sufficient testing, transporting such ferries to a developing country could result in violations of the Basel Convention, an international treaty aimed at preventing hazardous waste from being shipped between developed and developing nations.
Under the Basel Convention, developed countries like the U.S. are encouraged to avoid sending hazardous materials to countries like Ecuador, which is a party to the treaty. Although the U.S. is not a party to the Basel Convention, any export of hazardous waste without adequate testing or oversight could leave Washington vulnerable to legal repercussions and potentially make Ecuador the unintended violator of the treaty.
“Even if WSF was 100% confident that a ship did not contain hazardous materials that would trigger Basel, WSF still needs to be extremely careful not to send ships to a ship scrapper engaging in exploitative and dangerous labor practices,” cautioned Jim Puckett, executive director of the Basel Action Network.
Adelca, the Ecuadorian steel company, asserted its intentions to dismantle the ferries responsibly, as stated by Vezina from Washington State Ferries. However, ambiguity persists regarding the vessels’ contents, as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is not fully aware of whether the ferries in question contain PCBs. Washington’s authority to sell surplus ferries has shifted over time, as its Department of Enterprise Services has handled sales since 2011, often failing to secure lucrative bids. Transportation officials rank the combination of first-hand experience and exorbitant shipping costs as prohibitive factors for enticing buyers, especially for those willing to handle the logistical challenges of interstate transportation.
For the time being, officials are exploring the potential for local shipbreaking facilities that could resolve their issues. Doug Helton, a retired NOAA supervisor, highlighted that the diverse scrap metal value produced from dismantling larger ferries could provide an economically viable solution if conducted in a safe manner. However, establishing such facilities in the current real estate climate remains a challenge.
Environmental consultant Sheri Pemberton emphasized that any prospective shipbreaking facility would need to navigate extensive state, local, and federal regulations, alongside ensuring environmentally protective compliance. Currently, advocacy groups are calling for Washington State Ferries to reconsider its plans to sell the Elwha and Klahowya to Adelca, proposing that state laws should prioritize responsible disposal instead of international sales.
The Olympic ferry remains a stark reminder of the project’s difficulties and the failures surrounding long-term vessel management. As it rests off Ketron Island’s coast, visible to passengers aboard nearby ferries, marine life has claimed it as their own while it deteriorates within the waters of Puget Sound. Kristin Swenddal, now-retired manager of the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, highlighted the precarious state of the Olympic in a past correspondence, noting, “This looks awful. It appears the entire boat is going to tip at any time.”
With no immediate solutions apparent, the abandoned Olympic continues to pose environmental threats, and with each passing day, the risks escalate. As Wood reflects on the situation, he acknowledges the significance of the challenge; the legislation needed to remove the Olympic not only appears complex but remains tied up in red tape, leading to frustration as local ecosystems suffer. As the ferry sinks further into decay, questions about responsibility and accountability for its future—and that of other aging vessels—linger in Washington State’s maritime history.
image source from：investigatewest
