Breaking up is hard to do.Nearly 100 old ships, some dating from World War II, are moored together in the James River James River or Dakota River River in the U.S. rising in central North Dakota and flowing southeast across South Dakota. It joins the Missouri River about 5 mi (8 km) below Yankton after a course of 710 mi (1,140 km). in Virginia. The Ghost Fleet, as it's called, was once valuable as scrap, but current laws and environmental regulations make shipbreaking uneconomical, and the U.S. Congress will not vote the necessary subsidies. High winds have broken some vessels loose, to drift in shipping lanes or run aground Verb 1. run aground - bring to the ground; "the storm grounded the ship" strand, ground land - bring ashore; "The drug smugglers landed the heroin on the beach of the island" 2. on nearby beaches. Some of the ships are leaking; together, they hold nearly as much oil as was spilled by the Exxon Valdez This article is about the tank vessel Exxon Valdez. For the spill, see Exxon Valdez oil spill. Exxon Valdez was the original name (later Sea River Mediterranean and eventually Mediterranean , along with a toxic stew of other hazardous materials and junk. With the approach of every hurricane, Maritime Administration officials hold their breath. Meanwhile, from time to time Navy SEALS wielding paintball paintball Sports medicine A sport in which marble-sized gelatin capsules filled with a nontoxic dye are shot at speeds of 300 kph/200 mph Warning: guns go aboard for commando exercises. |
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