COLUMBIA, S.C. – Governor Henry McMaster and the South Carolina Office of Resilience (SCOR) today announced the USS Yorktown (Yorktown) Environmental Assessment and Remediation project will begin its second and final phase to remove hundreds of thousands of gallons of toxic pollutants from the Yorktown on Feb. 24, 2025, following a notice to proceed on Feb. 17, 2025. The project is a result of Governor McMaster's 2022 Executive Order, which directed SCOR to begin the process of removing over a million gallons of toxic pollutants from the Yorktown that are at risk of leaking into Charleston Harbor.
"Beginning the final phase of toxic waste removal from the USS Yorktown is critical to protecting the way of life in the Lowcountry," said Governor Henry McMaster. "Without removal, this waste seriously threatens Charleston Harbor's fragile ecosystem and the industries that define it – including commercial shipping and tourism. This undertaking ensures that our coastline remains protected."
Commissioned in 1943, the Yorktown is an Essex-class aircraft that was converted to an attack aircraft carrier in the 1950s, then to an anti-submarine aircraft carrier in 1957. After being decommissioned in 1970, it was donated to the Patriots Point Development Authority and relocated to the Charleston Harbor in 1975. When the Yorktown was decommissioned, the US Navy did not have strict decommissioning procedures and made the ship available to South Carolina “as is” and “without warranty." This included the presence of potentially hazardous materials on board when the ship was relocated.
In July 2022, Governor McMaster directed SCOR to identify all legacy contaminants remaining aboard the Yorktown and develop a plan to remediate the hazardous materials. SCOR awarded the Yorktown Environmental Assessment and Remediation project an American Rescue Plan Act State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds grant in the amount of $10.7M for Phase I and $18.9M for Phase II, for a total award of $29.9M.
“This project highlights the power of collaboration in tackling complex challenges,” said Chief Resilience Officer Ben Duncan. “Thanks to partners like Research Planning, Inc. and Patriots Point Development Authority, we were able to complete immediate repairs. This final step will ensure long-term resilience by remediating the ship, allowing the surrounding communities, economies, and ecosystems to thrive without the risk of contamination.”
Cleanup is a timely priority due to the continued corrosion of the Yorktown’s outer hull. While no hazardous materials have yet to leak from the ship into the harbor, a potential leak would significantly damage the area’s natural resources and the harbor’s ecosystem, including nearby marshes, estuaries, barrier islands, tidal creeks, and beaches. The USS Yorktown Remediation Final Report, completed in Phase I of the project, outlined these hazards and proposed a remediation plan to eliminate the risk. HEPACO, LLC will use these findings and recommendations to carry out the cleanup process in Phase II.
“The Yorktown is a valuable historical asset for our area and state, symbolizing America's naval history in both war and peace. It is our responsibility to preserve it for future generations while protecting our environment,” says Representative Tom Hartnett, Jr. “As we move to Phase Two of contaminant removal, I want to thank Governor McMaster for prioritizing this project and the S.C. Office of Resilience for their planning and continued efforts. Their commitment underscores the importance of addressing contamination issues responsibly and effectively.”
The first phase of the project concluded in December 2023 and included an environmental assessment study to identify the location and quantity of remaining legacy contaminants, as well as the completion of immediate repairs necessary to prepare the ship for the remediation process. This phase resulted in the extraction of 568,800 gallons of oily water, the removal of 8.88 tons of sludge and mud, the disposal of 4.5 tons of asbestos waste, and 35 external hull repairs. A copy of the Phase I report can be found here.
Phase II remediation activities involve the removal of fuel oil and other contaminants from the carrier, including heavy fuel oil, oily water, contaminated oils & liquids, and asbestos-containing piping insulation. The project is expected to take ten months.