On April 6th, the first of three public forums was held regarding the possible establishment of a ship breaking facility in Coos Bay. Ship breaking is the recycling of and disposal of ships at the end of their useful life. The forum was hosted by the International Port of Coos Bay, in partnership with the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve and the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology. Panelists from a number of agencies and universities discussed the environmental impacts associated with shipbreaking (e.g.; PCBs, asbestos, heavy metals, invasive species), and answered questions from the public. Although no specific proposal has been offered (or site location identified), at least one inquiry has been made to the Port of Coos Bay regarding dismantling of ships from the National Defense Reserve Fleet. The second public forum (early May) will address economic and social considerations, and the third forum (June) will solicit public input on the issue. For more info, visit www.oregon.gov/DSL/SSNERR/
