I have finally finished
reviewing MARAD’s response to my FOIA Appeal. This was to have been received by
Feb 9. I received it on Nov. 12, only after repeatedly reminding MARAD
officials that they were very late. I’m kind of curious as to why MARAD sent
this document to me via FedEx rather than by email.
In the appeal, Michael
Rodriguez, deputy administrator for MARAD, indicates that the agency has
determined that their search for documentation related to my Nov. 4 FOIA
request was reasonable in its scope. Related to the points of contention I
offered related to redacted materials, MARAD partially granted release of these
withheld items while continuing to deny others. Items were redacted based on
personal privacy issues as well as attorney-client privilege.
While MARAD was rabidly
liberal about redacting information for government officials and Coast Guard
officers from the documents, I found that there were other instances where
private information for American citizens was not redacted as it should have been.
I had to do that myself in order to protect the interests of STORIS vets as
well as my own privacy. The government bends over backwards to protect itself,
makes a huge issue about how I have to share this information, then sends me a
huge electronic file that is cumbersome to edit myself without the correct
software. If they want it shared, there should have been a consistent
application of redaction to protect the privacy of private citizens rather than
focusing on covering the behinds of government bureaucrats. Instead, MARAD’s
inconsistent application of redaction seriously delayed the posting of this
information until now.
Another curiosity is why
Rodriguez responded to this appeal and not Chip Jaenichen, the Chief
Administrator of MARAD. Jaenichen has the final say on releases of information,
particularly one like that of STORIS which has, no doubt, become a thorn for
MARAD officials.
MARAD responded that the inquiry into missing emails from Joe Pecoraro, superintendent of the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet, will be a dead-end. Apparently, the agency claims that there is no backup system in place for the email system used by Joe Pecoraro.
The release does bring 450
pages of materials to us for our efforts to find answers related to STORIS and
her illegal disposition and scrapping out of the country. A lot of these
materials have already been turned over through other FOIA releases, through
MARAD or other government agencies.
There are still some issues
with this release for which I will be following up with MARAD.
Here are the links to the
various sections of the release. Some of these documents are quite large
(upwards of 18 MB) so are best viewed on a desktop computer.
Cover letter: https://goo.gl/5pNYHR
Release- Pages 1-64: https://goo.gl/1anCGE
Release- Page 65: https://goo.gl/Kvy0eb
Release- Pages 66- 110: https://goo.gl/ER3gNL
Release- Pages 111-129: https://goo.gl/itcDuZ
Release- Pages 130-168: https://goo.gl/3eQxit
Pages 169-170: https://goo.gl/5hmnP6
Pages 171-200: https://goo.gl/YnlCyA
Pages 201-210: https://goo.gl/V3IBBD
Pages 211-228: https://goo.gl/uG7omP
Pages 229-232: https://goo.gl/6tzt15
Pages 233-253: https://goo.gl/ucQoxc
Pages 254-255: https://goo.gl/GArS0H
Pages 256-465: https://goo.gl/17mBGO
A brief summary of the
released materials along with questions we can pose related to the
documentation:
P1- Correspondence between Jeff Siragusa of MARAD
and the STORIS buyer, Mark Jurisich of U.S. Metals Recovery.
As noted before in earlier posts,
it is interesting to note that Jeff Siragusa was vice-president and program
manager at the ship recycling business known as North American Ship Recycling
(NASR) located at the old Bethlehem Steel Sparrows Point (Baltimore, MD)
shipyard, so he should be well aware of the construction of older American
vessels of WWII vintage. We are aware of the 2007 lawsuit filed by Clean
Venture against NASR over the salvage ship USS HOIST (ARS-40) and the tank
landing ship USS SPHINX (ARL-24). Both
ships were determined to contain hazardous materials, particularly the SPHINX,
which was identified as containing waste oil, lead paint and PCBs. We’ve also
seen the stories published in the area newspapers at the time regarding those
vessels from the James River Reserve Fleet. In the stories, MARAD officials are
quoted in regard to the problems that the NASR shutdown and associated
controversy caused for the government:
“The U.S. Maritime
Administration, which oversees the fleet, said in a statement Thursday that it
is ‘disappointed’ by the sudden closure.
‘All rights and remedies
available to the agency related to those contracts, and NASR's failure to
perform under those contracts, are being pursued, but cannot be discussed,’
according to the statement released by Susan Clark, an agency spokeswoman.” –
Shipyard closure sinks plan for 6 ‘Ghost Fleet’ ships – Scott Harper, Pilot
Online 11/9/07
The situation couldn’t have
caused too much trouble for MARAD if they turned around and hired Jeff Siragusa
from the wayward firm to work for MARAD. From what we’ve read in the MARAD FOIA
paperwork released to me, Siragusa was directly involved in passing judgment on
the legality of releasing STORIS for destruction in Mexico. He and the agency
knew better yet they allowed this to happen.
P2- Discussion related to
moving damage control and technical manuals from land storage back aboard
STORIS at Suisun Bay.
These documents were undoubtedly destroyed.
P3-4 – Discussion re: costs
for storage at SBRF and maintenance by SBRF personnel.
P5-7- Redacted documentation
referred to GSA for release.
P8- Storage for PLANETREE,
IRIS and STORIS at the SBRF
P9-10- Discussion re: tow
arrangements for the scrap tow out of the SBRF pending State Department
approval for the export. Load line exemption certificate for tow
P11-19- Cost breakdown for
storage of the PLANETREE, IRIS, STORIS and possibly JARVIS at the SBRF.
Interesting to note that the storage costs for STORIS were only noted at
$33,500. This is much lower than other sources which indicated that the cost
was significantly higher. This cost to maintain the ship was a driving factor
in GSA expediting disposal of the ship as being “in the best interests of the
government.” STORIS was sold for $70,100 in the June 2013 auction.
P20-21- David Crisman, MARAD
OSHA employee, conducted a survey of friable asbestos on STORIS on Aug 30, 2013. This was two months after the auction. Why was this
done?
P22- Redacted correspondence
with Jeff Beach of Coast Guard related to the steps needed to remove STORIS
from the SBRF.
P23-27 – Correspondence
(redacted) related to CG personnel checking serial numbers of small boats
aboard PLANETREE, IRIS and STORIS and inspecting the cutters themselves.
P28-29 – Correspondence
between Jeff Beach of CG and Joe Pecoraro of MARAD re: STORIS Museum nominating the ship for the National Register of Historic Places
P29-34 – Discussion among CG
and MARAD re: storage of decommissioned cutters by MARAD during excessing and
disposition process by CG
P35-36 - Joe Pecoraro
references GSA auction on 7/1/13, states it is bad PR for the Coast Guard. He says that it’s a shame as
the ship was in really good condition for her age and would have made a good
museum ship.
P36-42 – Discussion of
storage costs for the two 180s and STORIS at SBRF, into 2014, then discussion
with the pending departure of STORIS in FY 2013.
P43- Acknowledgement that
the technical manuals can be placed back aboard STORIS
P44-52- Discussion re:
removal of filter assembly from PLANETREE or IRIS to replace a damaged unit
aboard a 378. STORIS was accidentally boarded by contractors looking for the
filter.
P53-54 – Discussion re:
storage of CG cutters at the SBRF
P55-56 – Discussion re:
visit to STORIS to photograph small boats
P57-64- Discussion re:
excessing process for STORIS and how STORIS Museum would be able to acquire ship
P65-67 – Discussion re visit
to STORIS for small boat inspection
P68-69 – Discussion re steps
needed to remove STORIS from SBRF
P70-71- Discussion in early
2012 re questions from House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
related to status of STORIS
P72 – Correspondence between
CG and GSA re removal of STORIS from SBRF and a required extension as MARAD was
unable to make the ship ready for removal by the set GSA date of mid July
P101- 7/11/13 CG email to
GSA, CA law requires hulls to be cleaned every 5 years. STORIS hill cleaned in
2007. Why wasn't it cleaned before it
went to Mexico?
P 105 - MARAD redacted
attorney client privilege emails dated 9/5/13 re consent decree, foreign transfer, etc. no
reference to prohibition on scrapping abroad
P 107- Discussion again
within MARAD offices related to STORIS and her designation as free of PCBs.
Also reference to Jeff Siragusa walking through STORIS and making a
determination that the ship was free of PCBs based on observing new wiring on
board. This does not acknowledge all the old/original wiring that we know was
on board based on statements from members of her final crew. Siragusa should
have known STORIS couldn’t have been free of PCBs based on her age and prior
use.
P111-129 – Correspondence
from me to MARAD regarding MARAD allowing export of the ship. On page 126, there
is an issue in that, with my email to Franklin Parker (MARAD), Garbow (EPA),
and Frederick Kenney (CG) dated 10/28/13, the CG never gave me this email in their FOIA release. I pointed this
out in the recent correspondence with CG.
P140 – There is an EPA email
to MARAD re reflag request dated 10/29/13. Where is document?
P215 - Kevin Tokarski
(MARAD) email, STORIS built in 1942 so vessel likely has PCBs. Kevin (POC for
ship recycling program) doesn't have visibility on GSA auction and the auction
terms
P222 – Kevin Tokarski email
that cc’s MARAD Administrator Jaenichen. We’ve never seen any of Jaenichen's
emails from MARAD in any of the releases. Where are they?
P233 – March 2014 EPA
guidance to embassies re STORIS that claims EPA does not have a role in
approving ships for export. Then why is the issue of PCBs and exporting of ships
show up prominently on the EPA Web site complete with a video of Chris Rollins
of EPA Region IX speaking of PCB issues on ships. Remember, Rollins was the PCB
investigator I spoke with prior to STORIS’ export who assured me all was in
order and the export was documented as acceptable. (For us to find out later
the paperwork was seriously deficient – or completely worthless.)
P248 –10/23/13 email from Kevin Tokarski to Franklin Parker,
counsel for MARAD. Like the emails from Jaenichen, we haven't received any of
Parker's emails through FOIA, either. Even if they were redacted through
attorney-client privilege, these emails aren’t otherwise acknowledged.
The rest of the document is
repeated correspondence and the monthly rosters and maintenance records (with
expenditures) for the Coast Guard in order to keep STORIS at the SBRF. This
also includes visitor logs. There is no record of the buyer, Mark Jurisich,
visiting the ship prior to the auction. He only goes aboard after the sale, so
the ship was purchased sight unseen, apparently. The documentation of the
ship’s condition does demonstrate that she was in excellent condition, and an
email from MARAD historic preservation officer Barbara Voulgaris shows her
disappointment in STORIS being lost to scrapping.
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