Plans to sink the former destroyer USS Arthur W. Radford off the Maryland coast this spring to serve as a fish reef will apparently not be affected by the Navy's decision to recycle, rather than sink, four other retired warships.
Environmental officials in Delaware said they still plan to sink the 563-foot former Navy destroyer in about 135 feet of water, 30 miles off the coast. Maryland and New Jersey are partners in the project. It would be the longest vessel ever converted for use as an offshore reef on the East Coast.
"The apparent recent decision by the Navy to scrap the [aircraft carrier] USS Forrestal does not affect the preparation of the USS Arthur W. Radford," said Jeff Tinsman, artificial reef coordinator for the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.
