Residents and preservationists urge deeper testing before Okaloosa reefs the SS United States ship
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Summary
Speakers at the Okaloosa County meeting urged commissioners to require more remediation and testing before sinking the SS United States as an artificial reef, citing alleged high levels of hexavalent chromium and zinc chromate paint across the vessel and pointing to an overseas case where inadequate remediation and storm damage created long‑term hazards.
Multiple public commenters on March 24 urged the Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners to pause or require additional remediation before reefing the SS United States. Representatives of the SS United States Preservation Foundation presented laboratory results and cited EPA guidance that list oil, asbestos, PCBs and heavy metals (including chromium and zinc) among materials of concern for vessels placed as artificial reefs.
Justin Ruby, the foundation’s chief sustainability officer, said the foundation’s analytical testing showed "dangerously high levels of hexavalent chromium and zinc exist onboard the SS United States," and described an estimated 1.5 million square feet of surface area coated with zinc chromate primer. Foundation members and other speakers asked the county’s coastal resources staff and project leads to provide more thorough sampling, to clarify which areas and systems have been fully abated, and to respond to concerns about long‑term corrosion and storm damage.
Speakers cited an international case study (the HMS Adelaide) in which authorities ordered additional remediation and later faced structural failure, ongoing contamination and public petitions to remove the wreck. Concerned residents argued that incomplete remediation could leave the county liable for future cleanup costs and pose hazards to divers and coastal users.
County staff agreed to invite project leads (including Alex Fogg) back to a future meeting to respond to the specific technical questions raised by speakers, and commissioners acknowledged the public’s request for more transparency and fuller documentation of sampling results before final approvals.
Next steps: Staff will seek a technical response from project contractors and the SS United States Preservation Foundation, schedule a return briefing to address sampling methodologies and abatement plans, and provide the public with copies of any additional laboratory reports and EPA correspondence.
