On occasion we find ourselves in the perilous position where history faces destruction, and are forced to petition those who hold power to see past the fog of nebulous dealings and intervene on the behalf of the few who can afford to keep a watchful eye over that which may otherwise be ignored.  Such currently is the case with the SS United States, which now finds itself teetering on the brink of needless destruction.  Built in 1952 and serving thousands of passengers across 17 years of proud service between her home port in New York and Southampton in England, the United States has exchanged ownership many times before being acquired by Oskaloosa County in Florida.  Both now and then, the United States has stood as a symbol of American engineering prowess and has survived the intervening decades as both a record holder – holding the title of the fastest passenger ship to cross the Atlantic for over 70 years – and untapped potential awaiting rebirth.  After almost 30 years of storage in Philadelphia, she is now heading for Mobile, Alabama for remediation to become an artificial reef.

It has been decided without debate – and in the face of additional evidence that we have discovered – that the destruction of the ship via reefing is the most ideal future, despite the high potential for breaking federal law and creating a significant environmental catastrophe off the coast of Florida, as well as becoming a hazard to divers within as little as a decade.  We have attempted a private solution to this disagreement but are now forced to take action ourselves.

More significant than most faced with the destruction of historical artifacts, we claim that the SS United States maintains protection under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, Section 106 – which states that any location or object listed on the National Register of Historic Places must be subject to formal, federal review if federal agencies are involved in the funding, permitting, or approval of any significant modification.  Due to the presence of polychlorinated biphenyls – federally controlled contaminants in the eyes of the EPA – any plans to reef the ship must involve EPA approval, which would trigger a Section 106 review.  Additionally, we believe her to maintain her Congressionally enshrined protections in the 92nd and 94th Congresses, which dictate that the United States government retains the right to purchase the ship for preservation above water in the United States.  We are additionally concerned that the presence of PCBs may create a leachate point source in the sensitive ecosystem off the Florida coast, and that the aluminum superstructure and steel hull may together galvanically corrode the ship after reefing, decaying to the point of becoming a major diving hazard for future visitors, as happened above water to her sister ship in the early 2000s, ending in the total destruction of that ship.  We, the friends of the New York Coalition to Save the SS United States, call upon the above addressed to investigate this status and interdict any immediate plans to reef the ship by posing a formal review.  We also present an opportunity to avoid this scenario by offering to return the ship to New York in our esteemed care and restore her as a jewel in the crown of a 13-acre green technology waterfront redevelopment, bringing native plant life back to Brooklyn, New York and investing millions into the economy – a 250th birthday gift to her namesake if ever there was one.

By signing this petition, you can enshrine your name as a protector of history and one of a steadfastly determined crowd of people who are emboldened to stand up for the right side of history.  Please also consider donating to our GoFundMe to support our legal efforts and preparations in remediating the SS United States:  https://www.gofundme.com/f/last-chance-rescue-the-legendary-ss-united-states-from-sink