Commissioners ask staff to study toxic‑paint risks before SS United States reefing

Okaloosa County commissioners on Sept. 2 heard multiple public speakers warn that the proposed sinking of the ocean liner SS United States for an artificial reef could release toxic coatings into Gulf waters, and commissioners asked staff to return with a formal agenda item to investigate the claims.

Environmental advocates and preservationists told the Board of County Commissioners that the ship is coated with neon‑yellow zinc chromate primer that contains hexavalent chromium, a compound they said is water‑soluble and highly toxic. Justin Ruby, of the SS United States Preservation Foundation, told the commission, "Hexavalent chromium is highly water soluble, making it very mobile in the environment. This contamination will persist for decades." Steven Perry, a member of the public, also raised concerns about other unidentified contaminants inside the vessel and asked how those materials would be remediated.

County commissioners and staff responded that they take such concerns seriously and would return with information. County staff said the reefing project is being conducted under existing permits and that monitoring would be performed as required by those permits; staff also said an outside monitoring partner would assist. Chairman Coffey said he did not want to ignore a reported risk and supported investigating the issue: "If it's a real potential issue that we could investigate, I, for one, would be in favor. Let's investigate it, make sure we're doing it right." Commissioner Mitchell asked staff to agendize a detailed update so the full board could review the scientific record and regulatory compliance together when the natural resources director is available.

Why it matters: Commissioners approved earlier steps toward reefing and have moved the project forward under permit conditions; claims about hazardous paint on the vessel raise questions about permit compliance, monitoring requirements and potential remediation costs. Commissioners stressed they are not scientists and asked staff to present sampling or testing options and any applicable permit requirements from federal or state regulators before making further deployment decisions.

County staff told the board that many older vessels contain zinc chromate and that the project team expects to follow permit conditions and post‑deployment monitoring, and staff committed to returning with a formal agenda item that includes the natural resources director and subject‑matter experts. No vote was taken on reefing or on any remediation step during the meeting; the board’s action was to request further study and a future agenda item.

The commissioners did not set a timeline at the meeting for required testing or remediation, but several members said they would not support sinking the vessel without clear scientific guidance and permit confirmation. Staff said monitoring requirements would be enforced under the permit and that Woods Hole (an external monitoring partner referenced by staff) would assist with post‑deployment monitoring if the project proceeds.