PHOENIX - Arizona Sen. John McCain's old aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. Forrestal, now is to be recycled instead of being scuttled at sea. The U.S. Navy says three other carriers also will be recycled instead of dumping them in the ocean to create artificial reefs.
Colby Self, Green Ship Recycling Campaign director for Seattle-based Basel Action Network, says the new policy will save taxpayers millions of dollars by recycling valuable metals while reducing decontamination costs involved in sinking a ship.
"The biggest thing that they're looking at removing is PCBs, which are persistent toxic materials that fish can take up and pass them through the food chain up through humans. Asbestos has to be removed, all the hydrocarbons. It's a very, very expensive effort."
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