The Tripoli earned 19 awards during its career, including four Navy Unit Commendations, three Combat Action Ribbons, three Armed Forces Expeditionary Medals, the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal and Southwest Asia Service Medal. Sold for scrapping Oct. 2021 to International Shipbreakers Ltd. Brownsville TX. A US Ship recycler located in Brownsville, TX. The ship is now at International Shipbreaking Limited, which bought the supercarrier for a penny last year to dismantle and recycle. ESCO Marine, who recycles governmental ships, plans to resell pieces of the ship "to accommodate the level of interest in Saratoga and her history," its website states. . "We've even tried welding the steel in there. The ship is being dismantled. The ship is now at International Shipbreaking Limited, which bought the supercarrier for a penny last year to dismantle and recycle. (Wikimedia Commons photo), USS Forrestal out on trials in 1955, before it commissioned. Visit the EMR Local website . 2003: The carrier and its crew are a part ofOperation Iraqi Freedom. But building the yard, he says, still required plenty of work. Environmental & Industrial Hygiene Laboratory. Walk inside a ship that's being scrapped, and you'll find one of the nastiest places imaginable: filthy and rusty, with everything that's poisonous and salvageable torn out. The LOCODE of Brownsville is USZVB. at Brownsville Yard. Kitty Hawkleft Bremerton, Wash., on Jan. 15 to make its last sail to Brownsville ahead of the dismantlement,Kitsap Sunreported at the time. USS Valley Forge CV-45 arriving in Halifax NS July 1959. The ship is now at International Shipbreaking Limited, which bought the supercarrier for a penny last year to dismantle and recycle. "I'm sure there area lot of tears being shed today.". The vessel, which was commissioned in 1956, was being towed to a ship breaking company in the Port of Brownsville. SteelCoast on June 3 announced the completion of the recycling of the USS Petersburg, three months ahead of schedule and without a safety incident. Info & Links | At the time, Kitty Hawk was the Navys forward-deployed ship in Japan but deployed to the Persian Gulf to help at the start of the war in Iraq. USA Locations. We set the standard for excellence in the industry. The former aircraft carrier USS Ranger is towed from Bremerton, Washington, on Thursday, March 5, 2015, on its final journey to a scrapyard in Brownsville, Texas. International Shipbreaking Limiteds 2021 purchase ofKitty Hawkdealt a final blow to some veterans desires to make the ship into a museum, similar to the five other aircraft carrier museums throughout the United States,USNI News previously reported. By Emily Badger 3 minute Read. FX: (757) 873-1074, 1000 West 27th Street Shipbreaking. Kris Wood, vice president of ESCO Marine, says ships still yield plenty of other valuable elements. Along the way you will see our native Atlantic bottle-nose dolphins and migratory birds. It does not constitute professional advice. Privacy & Security | The deepwater Port of Brownsville lies inland at the end of a 17-mile channel connecting to the Gulf of Mexico. Saratoga returning from final deployment, 1994. hide caption. Find your local EMR Metal Recycling scrap yard and start selling your waste metal to us today. Additionally, SteelCoast will process automobiles and other light metal products. Towing vessel---17 x 8: Feb 11, 10:39: PORT FUKUOKA. International Shipbreaking, part of U.K.-headquartered EMR Metal Recycling, says it has gained the European Union Ship Recycling Regulation (EU SRR) accreditation for its site in Brownsville, Texas, after investing $30 million in compliant infrastructure. The USS Saratoga has arrived in Brownsville to be dismantled. The Navy elected to scrap the ship rather than repair it. Apply at: 101 Box Car Rd, Brownsville, TX 78521 Applications and Interviews are being conducted this week Monday & Tuesday. On Memorial Day, Fulksgot a photo from an employee of Foss Maritime, the company towing the vessel, as it wasbathed in a Texas sunset. 1984: The carrier collides with a surfacing Russiansubmarine in the Tsushima Strait, leaving the sub's propeller embedded in the carrier's hull. "It's sad that she could not be turned into a museum," Fern stated. Over 10 years later the Department of Transportation finally signed a fee for service contract worth $515,726 with ESCO Marine of Brownsville, Texas, to scrap ex-Savannah. USS Bonhomme Richard being towed to scrapyard in Brownsville TexasPassing thru South Padre Island Texas jetties May 31 2021 We also said that the carriers will be sent to the Brownsville company Bay Bridge Texas. A spokesperson for International Shipbreaking Limited said the yard will begin actual structural dismantling in July and plans to finish the dismantling process in about 18 months. For the completion of the USS Kitty Hawk project, ISL has hired 30 new employees and will continue to add 30 more. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. FAQ | This category has the following 102 subcategories, out of 102 total. SteelCoast will then work to process and resell the scrap to be used in various other manufacturing industries. the Navy decided to scrap the ship. The former USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) reached South Padre Island, near the Texas-Mexico border, on Tuesday as veterans of one of the Navy's last conventional carriers looked on, according to a report in The Brownsville Herald. This is not an assembly line job, and everyday you have to use your wits. Sitemap | Shipbreaking is only one of several main ship disposal alternatives, also including hulking, floating or drydock storage, donation or sale for reuse, deep-water sinking and making artificial reefs (for detailed info check Ship Recycling). U.S. Navy (2015) 'Top Gun . Ship-breaking (also known as ship recycling, ship demolition, ship dismantling, or ship cracking) is a type of ship disposal involving the breaking up of ships for either a source of parts, which can be sold for re-use, or for the extraction of raw materials, chiefly scrap.Modern ships have a lifespan of 25 to 30 years before corrosion, metal fatigue and a lack of parts render them . The Navy has previously paid ISL for its towing and ship-breaking services, which oftentimes can be costly. BROWNSVILLE, Texas, May 2, . The USS Midway, an aircraft carrier that served . Careers. Decommissioned: 2007. Careers, Blog | The Tripoli was one of seven Iwo Jima-class amphibious assault ships, the first vessels of their type designed as helicopter carriers. by All Star Metals in the Gulf port of Brownsville; The ship is perhaps best known for a fire which broke out on board . But those squares are actually holes; the ship's been turned into Swiss cheese for ventilation and light. Home to three major ship recycling facilities, All Star Metals, International Shipbreaking Ltd./EMR, and SteelCoast, these companies capture over 85 percent of the U.S. Navy and MARAD ship . Terms of Use | One of the last conventionally-powered carriers, the former Kitty Hawk was commissioned in 1961 and decommissioned in 2009. . Work on the USS Independence is underway. A previous Web version of this story incorrectly said that the USS Independence is one of the carriers to be scrapped. An industrial shredder at International Shipbreaking Ltd. in Brownsville, Texas. The USS Ticonderoga (CG 47), decommissioned in 2004, concluded its final voyage last . Overview. Naval Sea Systems Command, a US Navy sub-organization, said it had agreed to sell the USS Kitty Hawk and the USS John F. Kennedy to International Shipbreaking Limited, which is based in Brownsville, Texas, USA Today reported. ENSCO 67 Jack-up oil rig. The Brownsville site is the first shipbreaking site in the United States to achieve this . Recycled ships are typically scrapped from the top down and from front to back. The USS Charles F. Adams (DDG 2), "The Charlie Deuce," will be dismantled and recycled by International Shipbreaking Ltd., part of EMR Metal Recycling, in Brownsville, Texas. Former sailors and others gathered at South Padre Island, Texas, and a moment of silence was held as the oldwarship enteredBrazos Santiago Pass, the entrance of a 17-mile channel to its final destination,International Shipbreaking. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. "This whole month has been a whirlwind of emotions," said Fulks, among the many thousands of sailors who served on the Kitty Hawk during its decades of service from 1961 to 2009. hide caption. Click to reveal The process of ship breaking, and ship recycling is a complex process that requires precision and technical prowess. In October, International Shipbreaking Ltd. of Brownsville won the contract to demolish Kitty Hawk and near-sister ship USS John F. Kennedy for the amount of $0.01 each. The landlocked city has become the hub of the U.S. ship-recycling industry. contract for the workto scrap thewarship, center of the country's shipbreaking industry, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. 11850 Tug Boat Lane (U.S. Navy photo), Crewmen work on the USS Forrestal in the Atlantic in June 1976. CV-62 was launched in 1958 and served almost 40 years in the Fleet before it was . "It's unbelievable," he says. Info & Links | Testimonials | (U.S. Navy photo). FAQ | 1963: The "Battle Cat" conducts "experiments" to find out if theU2 high-altitude reconnaissance planes could land on a carrier. Port of Brownsville Home to three major ship recycling facilities, All Star Metals, International Shipbreaking Ltd./EMR, and SteelCoast, these companies capture over 85 percent of the U.S. Navy and MARAD ship recycling business. The Navy veteran,a retired air traffic controller on the warship from 1984 to 1989, has kept a close eye out for any public sightings of it sincethe foggy January day it left Bremertonuntil it met thehazy horizons of Brownsville, Texas, on Tuesday. Bulk Carrier. The presence of the Tripoli and other U.S. warships as partof Operation Vigilant Warrior resulted in Iraq withdrawing its forces from the border. Service: 40 Years of Service. Brownsville, Texas, Scrapyard Photo Special - all Photos taken by Michael Martin - Point Loma (T-AGDS 2) Roark (FF 1053) Roark (FF 1053) England (CG 22) Fox (CG 33) Banner (T-AK 5008) Sacramento (AOE 1) Santa Lucia: Camden (AOE 2) Proteus (AS 19 / IX 518) Queen's Victory: Cape Clear: Jason (AR 8) We are expanding and modernizing our operations to safely recycle the next generation of U.S. Navy ships.. In December 1992, the ship was sent to Somalia to wrest control of the city of Mogadishu from Somali warlords in OperationRestore Hope, the Tripolis Marines going ashore in a night landing to secure the citys airports and seaports. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. A spokesperson for International Shipbreaking Limited said the yard will begin actual structural dismantling in July and plans to finish the dismantling process in about 18 months. The ship served nearly 50 years and is the last conventionally powered carrier to be decommissioned. Unlike ship breakers in India or Turkey, there is no run up on the beach, and scrapping is a mechanized, planned effort, not performed by an army of underpaid workers. For more info call 708-730-1400. . 46312. Open from 8am Call (956) 831-2299. . Updated: 6:29 PM CDT June 3, 2022. All structured data from the file namespace is available under the. https://www.brownsvilleherald.com/news/local/assault-ship-tripoli-comes-to-brownsville-for-scrapping/article_d771ce87-5bfa-5363-84f4-ae611e67ef14.html. The first of the supercarriers, Forrestal was commissioned Sept. 29, 1955, and was in service for more than 38 years. Naval Historical Center photo). She was officially decommissioned in 2007 and was then berthed in Philadelphia and kept in reserve. Work on the USS Independence is underway. This year ship recycling projects at the port have continued to solidify the ports reputation as the premier ship recycling port of the U.S. On the horizon, the future of the ship recycling industry at the port is bright. Ship & Yard Scrap Cutters Wanted! Location URL. Submarine being scrapped. The government paid Able UK $10 million to scrap the four ghost ships from Virginia, said Riddle. The ship was loaned tothe Army after decommissioning,and in 2006 was towedto Pearl Harbor for useas a launch platform inballistic missile tests. The historic aircraft carrier arrived in Brownsville on Friday and will be dismantled. At the time, Kitty Hawkwas the Navys forward-deployed ship in Japan, but deployed to the Persian Gulf to help at the start of the war in Iraq. Recent ship arrivals in Brownsville. Every day here is different. And as the nation's reserve fleet of aging warships and tankers has become too old to use, those ships are increasingly being sold for scrap. PH: (757) 873-0933 ISL won the Navy contract and responsibility to recycle the Kitty Hawk, representing the fourth carrier it recycles. USS Lexington CV-16 (1943-1991) Museum Ship, Corpus Christi, TX. (U.S. Navy photo), The USS Forrestal at anchor in Crete, June 1978. Chambers used to send much of his steel to the city of Monterrey in railroad cars 20 boxcars per train, loaded with 60 tons of steel in each. . The former USSKitty Hawk (CV-63) reached South Padre Island, near the Texas-Mexico border, on Tuesday as veterans of one of the Navys last conventional carriers looked on, according to a report in The Brownsville Herald. The ship was towed later that year from the MARAD reserve fleet in Beaumont, Texas to the ESCO Marine, Inc. ship-scrapping yard in Brownsville, Texas where crews removed all toxic materials, used blow torches to create large openings in the hull and prepared to tow her to the reef site. The Tripoli was berthedin San Francisco untiljoining the Beaumont ReserveFleet in April 2015. (U.S. Navy photo), An aerial starboard view of the USS Forrestal in June 1982. Newport News, VA 23606 Our subsidiary, Scrap Metal Services Brownsville, formerly All Star Metals, is one of the few approved ship recyclers in the nation, and also handles the dismantling and recycling of oil drilling rigs and oil production platforms. BREMERTON The USS Kitty Hawk, the nation's last oil-fired aircraft carrier, departed Bremerton on Saturday for a 16,000-mile journey around South America for its ultimate fate: scrapping at a Texas shipyard. Two years later, the ship was back in the Persian Gulf as an initial U.S. show of force in response to Iraqagain massing troops along the Kuwaiti border. We have the expertise and trust our clients can rely on, and have the safety track record our clients can take comfort in. "None of this is about me," Fulks said. Our facility has the ability to ship and receive material by bulk cargo vessels, barge, and . The Forrestal-class ship was decommissioned on Sept. 30 1994 after 38 years of service and 22 deployments, including the Cuban Missle Crisis. A ship cutter helps dismantle a ship at the Bay Bridge Texas recycling yard. . Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Launched, 21 January 1978 . Scrap Metal Services have many locations with recycling centers in USA with two of them open to the public. The Navys last conventional super carriers arrived in Brownsville, Texas this week after taking one last towed sail before getting scrapped. USS Saratoga lands in Brownsville for scrapping. Local Time: In February 1991, the Tripoli was struck by an Iraqi mine, which tore a massive hole in the ships starboard bow. The Navys last conventional super carriers arrived in Brownsville, Texas this week after taking one last towed sail before getting scrapped. It was the last time a Japan-based carrier would do so until 2021, when USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) deployed to the Middle East. Rebecca Salinas is a digital producer at the San Antonio Express-News. By providing certain contact information herein, you are expressly authorizing the recipient of this message to contact you via the methods of communication provided. Parts of the flight deck and hull will be refabricated into plaques and medallions with vessel specification and history engravings. In August 2016, the U.S. Maritime Administration designated the Tripoli for scrapping. Kitty Hawk left Bremerton, Wash., on Jan. 15 to make its last sail to Brownsville ahead of the dismantlement, Kitsap Sun reported at the time. The former USSKitty Hawk(CV-63) reached South Padre Island, near the Texas-Mexico border, on Tuesday as veterans of one of the Navys last conventional carriers looked on, according to a report inThe Brownsville Herald. MAY 2, 2017 - The Brownsville, Texas, ship recycling and scrap processing facility formerly known as ESCO Marine is reopening under new ownership. While the ships are all likely to be sent to Brownsville, nothing has been confirmed. The comfortable year-round climate provides for an abundance of recreational fun and activities. Hundreds of people stood along the shoreline of South Padre Island on May 31, 2022, to behold the arrival of the USS Kitty Hawk, the sixth US Navy Aircraft Carrier to arrive at the port for recycling. USS Saratoga (CV-60) being scrapped (Google Maps). All personnel must have a government issued photo ID, such as a Texas Driver's License. Terms of Use | Chris Green, International Shipbreaking senior manager, acknowledged that the Tripoli has significant sentimental meaning to the men and women who served our country and spent a part of their lives with her.. Performance & security by Cloudflare. If it has rained, everything's all wet, too. Each of these experienced and safety-driven recycling companies continue to win a steady stream of major recycling contracts from the U.S. Government. ISL has been awarded five more U.S. Navy ships for recycling, said Berry. James Melka, a formerKitty Hawksailor who tried to turn the ship into a museum,said last year that he planned to watch the carrier leave Bremerton and arrive in Brownsville, Texas. "So, if the scrap market is down but the ship is still very rich in nonferrous metals, the project can still be a lucrative one.". Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a29f7904ade0a47 These little pieces of history will go on sale in December, and they will be available at the ESCO Marine Sales facility or online. He can be reached at 360-792-9227, josh.farley@kitsapsun.com or on Twitter at@joshfarley. It was the last time a Japan-based carrier would do so until 2021 when USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) deployed to the Middle East. Close. A overview of All Star Metals. The company, backed by Indian investors with deep pockets, just moved to Brownsville from Chesapeake, Va. The 600-foot-plus oiler ships are being towed to International Ship breaking Limited in Brownsville, Texas, where they will be cut up and their innards removed, The Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk reported Friday. The Navy has previously paid ISL for its towing and ship-breaking services, which oftentimes can be costly. Along the Texas border The Texas border town of Brownsville, convenient to Mexican steel mills and Mexican labor, is the nation's shipbreaking center. But officials . The former USS Kitty Hawk arrived at a scrapyard in Brownsville, Texas, this week. The contract for the scrapping of the Kitty Hawk was awarded for 1 cent. The USS Forrestal in 1955. Ron Tucker was new to the Navy in 1982 when he joined USS Ticonderoga's crew. Ship Recycling & Oil Drilling Rig Dismantling, Industrial Onsite Scrap Management Services, Electronic Privacy and Use Terms and Conditions, Electronic Privacy and Use Terms And Conditions, Adhere to federal workplace safety guidelines, Protect against dangerous work conditions. Scrap Metal Services is prideful in the fact that we are one of only three licensed & approved dismantlers and recyclers in the United States. The benefits of ship recycling make a significant environmental impact as fewer resources are required to manufacture products from metal scrap as compared to metal ore. Additionally, recycling steel scrap from end-of-life ships reduces air and water pollution and water consumption. . . VIRGINIA (Scrap Monster): United States' two Navy ships built at a cost of $300 million are now moving to Texas scrap yard for recycling without even gone for a single mission. The expected completion date is December 2023. Frederick C. Murphy (ship, 1945), https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Category:Ships_scrapped_in_Brownsville,_Texas&oldid=333485559, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Arrival (LT) Vessel Last port Built GT DWT Size (m) Feb 12, 02:30: BROWN WATER XI. International Shipbreakers was paid $3 million by the Navy to scrap the ship because of the long transportation around the Horn of South America, a separate article by The Brownsville-Herald states. Notably in the mothball fleet is the USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) Kitty Hawk class supercarrier. (AP Photo/The Brownsville Herald, Brad Doherty), Horoscope for Friday, 3/03/23 by Christopher Renstrom, No seriously, dont drive up to Tahoe this weekend, Wife of Jeffrey Vandergrift issues somber update, Snowboarder dies at Tahoe ski resort following historic blizzard, Scream publicity stunt floods Bay Area dispatch with 911 calls, The Warriors broke Russell Westbrook, just like old times, The best fried chicken is at a San Francisco strip club, Rain reenters Bay Area forecast: Have an umbrella near you, Mochi muffin bakery closes SF cafe after just 4 months, Oakland ransomware attackers leak 'confidential' data, Arrest in killing of woman seen running through Tahoe campground. Brownsville, Texas (TX), US. PH: (757) 640-1121 SteelCoast will also dismantle decommissioned, idled or . After making a correction to an upcoming diagram, CV-64 ("Constellation") completed construction by 1961, was active until 2003, was towed to Bremerton in 2003, arrived at Brownsville under tow on 16 January 2015, and was completely dismantled by 10 May 2017 at the "International Shipbreaking" part of the Brownsville ship dismantling area. On a recent Friday morning, workers in the Esco Marine ship-breaking yard in Brownsville, Texas, were dismantling a 1944 U.S. Navy repair ship. The Port of Brownsville Tour is a 4-hour narrated cruise from South Padre Island across the Laguna Madre Bay and traveling down the Brownsville Ship Channel. "Like all the other older carriers, it's time for her to meet her demise.". Solications and contracts related to ship dismantling and recycling require adherance to EPA standards and take those laws into consideration when reviewing a vendor's offer in relation to their recycling facilities. From his home in Indiana, James Fulks has watched the journey of the USS Kitty Hawk as it spanned the hemisphere on its way to the scrapyard. Screenshot of YouTube video from May 31, 2021 of the hull of Bonhomme Richard arriving in the Port of Brownsville, Texas. Chambers has no idea how the bandits were doing it. for recycling, 30 April 2021. (U.S. Navy photo by Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Melissa F. Weatherspoon/Released), Melissa F. Weatherspoon/U.S. . (U.S. Navy photo), USS Forrestal in the Suez Canal, August 1988. 560 Hook's Lake Road, Malcolm, AL 36556. She previously covered the Navy for Inside Defense and reported on politics for The Hill. (National Archives photo), The USS Forrestal in front of Mount Vesuvius in Naples, 1959. Ship being broken up for scrap. A shopper can get some good deals if they're open to a nautical theme. BREMERTON The USS Kitty Hawk, the nation's last oil-fired aircraft carrier, departed Bremerton on Saturday for a 16,000-mile journey around South America for its ultimate fate: scrapping at a Texas shipyard. Average relative humidity is 75.25%. It was the sixth Saratoga ship in U.S. history, named after the infamous American Revolution battle. Onlookers, many of them former sailors aboard the "Battle Cat," watched as tugs pulled the rugged warship into Sinclair Inlet on a foggy The stalking horse bidder would be entitled to a break-up fee of $0.03 million in case of termination of the asset purchase agreement. The pilings, made of steel cores, sink 60 feet deep. The Navy's last conventional super carriers arrived in Brownsville, Texas this week after taking one last towed sail before getting scrapped. One problem facing efforts to make the ship a museum was finding a city to house the super carrier that did not already have an aircraft carrier museum, Ryan Szimanski, the executive director of the Historic Naval Ships Association, told USNI News at the time. Sergio Cazeres, who's been cutting ships since 1992, says the first cuts are made in the side of the ship. May 31, 2022: The aircraft carrier arrives in Texas for its dismantling. The Kitty Hawk, decommissioned in 2009, had been in the mothball fleet for more than 12 years. The price cut for this sale reflects the fact the Brownsville, Texas-based company will make a profit from the scrap iron, steel, and non-ferrous metal ore collected from the aircraft carriers. SteelCoast will also dismantle decommissioned, idled or underutilized oil rigs, train locomotives, railcars, as well as other industrial and commercial sources of recyclable metals. *Brownsville Navigation District adopted a tax rate that will raise more taxes for maintenance and operations than last years tax rate. Ship Breaking; Malcolm, AL. SteelCoast, Brownsville, Texas: United States: International Shipbreaking, Brownsville, Texas United States: Mare Island Dry Docks, Vallejo, California United States: Changjiang Ship Breaking Yard: A tanker ship waits to be recycled. W&P Porter bowl review: A container that makes office HOKA dropped a brand new version of their most popular shoe, Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). A tanker ship waits to be recycled. Back on board at Chambers' yard, the ship cutters remove everything of value the furniture, the plumbing, the fixtures, the lighting and sell it. "This land did not look like this," Chambers says. BROWNSVILLE, Texas A contract to recycle an out-of-service U.S. Navy guided-missile cruiser has been awarded to International Shipbreaking Limited LLC., one of the world's largest green ship recycling companies, MarineLink reported on Sept. 29. "The Hispanic workforce that I found here is excellent," Chambers says. He pays between $10 and $13 an hour for the recycling work. She will be recycled in a safe, respectful and environmentally responsible manner, he said. Shipbreaking firms at Brownsville, Texas, break up old naval vessels with mostly cheap Mexican workforce. "There's a percentage makeup of nonferrous metals: That's your coppers, your brass, monels that are higher value," Wood says. Even ships that appear to be in good working condition are valuable as scrap metal. for 3 miles until you see . 1969: The flattop is awarded a presidential unit citation for its participationoff Vietnam during the Tet Offensive. 2009:The Kitty Hawk is decommissioned and brought to its new home at the Navy's mothball fleet in Bremerton. Ship being broken up for scrap. On the Rio Grande, Brownsville is a transit . (U.S. Navy photo), Island of the USS Forrestal, circa 1989. Privacy & Security | In a nation hungry for working-class jobs, ship recycling is helping to drive Brownsville's economy even at these relatively low wages. ESCO Marine, Inc., of Brownsville, Texas, protests the issuance of a task order to International Shipbreaking Limited LLC (ISL), of Brownsville, Texas, under a request for proposals (RFP) issued by the Department of the Navy, Naval Sea Systems Command, Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion & Repair, for the towing and dismantling of three decommissioned Navy ships--the ex-Saipan, the ex . ISL Vice President Bob Berry said the 18-month long project will result in an estimated 97 percent of materials recycled from the 61,351 gross ton vessel. An industrial shredder at International Shipbreaking Ltd. in Brownsville, Texas. This thriving industry supports hundreds of well-paying jobs throughout the Rio Grande Valley, and the employment opportunities continue to grow with each project arriving at the port. It's also a messy one. The vessels will be . LPH stands for Landing Platform Helicopter. The first ship of the class, the Iwo Jima (LPH 2), was scrapped in 1996 in Brownsville.