U.S.S. Yorktown (FILE)
Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum in Mount Pleasant is already in debt. But now officials have been told they may have to come up with money for an environmental study. Officials are worried about possibly hazardous materials that could be aboard the World War II-era aircraft carrier Yorktown.
The Yorktown has been on the Mount Pleasant waterfront since 1975. Environmental reviews were not required when the ship became a regional attraction and, as a result, the vessel has never undergone the remediation that is now required for deactivated naval ships.
Among the hazardous materials that could be found onboard are petroleum products, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), asbestos, lead and other substances, according to a scope-of-work presented by the Clemson Restoration Institute Wednesday.
A study could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, while remediation of the old carrier could cost millions. The board that runs the museum still has to sign off on the proposal. A decision on the environmental study of the Yorktown could come next month.
Patriots Point executive director Mac Burdette told the Charleston Post & Courier that the materials do not present a risk for visitors and employees who simply walk around the ship.
Sheree Bernardi of Charleston affiliate WTMA contributed to this report
