USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98)

Evidence

16 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-16).

1. [1]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, 'Caloosahatchee' entry (NHHC, history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/c/caloosahatchee.html; live URL 404s - Wayback capture 2025-12-08 used; page published 2023-03-08) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS entry text, paragraphs 1-4 (Wayback capture 2025-12-08)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS entry for Caloosahatchee (AO-98; class Cimarron; displacement 7,295; length 553'; beam 75'; draft 32'4"; speed 18 knots; complement 304; armament one 5-inch, four 3-inch): launched 1945-06-02 by Bethlehem-Sparrows Point Shipyard, Inc., Sparrows Point, MD, under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Mrs. C. L. Andrews; acquired by the Navy and commissioned 1945-10-10, CDR H. R. Livingston, USNR, in command; reported to Commander, Service Force, Atlantic Fleet. East-coast oil transport and at-sea fueling; Iceland voyage in first two years; first Sixth Fleet Mediterranean tour from 1947-08-14, repeated almost yearly into 1960; NATO Operation 'Mariner' off Greenock, Scotland, 1953-09-16 to 1953-10-20; midshipman cruises to Le Havre (1954) and Copenhagen (1956); European port-call cruises fall 1957 and summer 1958; Operation 'Springboard' Caribbean exercises through 1960. Decommissioned 1990-02-28; stricken from the Naval Vessel Register 1994-07-18; moored with the James River Reserve Fleet until 2003-10-18, when taken under tow for scrapping at the Able UK facility in Teesside, England.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1945-2003

   Population

   Commissioned crew, ~304 (DANFS figure)

   Limitations

   Official ship-history reference; contains no asbestos, insulation-material, survey, or abatement information. Detailed coverage ends at 1960 - the entry does not document the jumboization, Vietnam-era operations, or any deployment 1961-1990. A widely reprinted transcription variant adds a Cuban-missile-crisis refueling sentence not present in the current NHHC text; carried as unverified in gaps.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-caloosahatchee-ao98-01

2. [2]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - CALOOSAHATCHEE (AO-98), Ship History Detail 656 (milestones table; image set 656_001-057) [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   MARAD ShipHistory Detail/656 - Milestones table; image captions

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MARAD ShipHistory record for CALOOSAHATCHEE (AO-98) (vessel detail 656; builder 'Bethlehem Steel Shipbuilding Division'; type 'Naval Auxiliary / AO Oiler'; fate 'Sold - Scrap'). Milestones: Entry 1991-02-28; Acquisition 1991-02-28; Acquisition 1998-12-19; Interim Movement 2003-10-06 annotated 'Scrap services contract to Able UK'; Withdrawal 2010-04-21. The record carries 57 U.S. Navy photographs captioned 'Caloosahatchee (AO-98) under jumbo conversion at Bethlehem Steel Shipyard, Sparrows Point, Maryland in 1969' and sea trials after conversion - official documentation of the midlife reconstruction at the builder's yard.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1991-2010

   Population

   NDRF layup/maintenance crews, James River (1991-2003); tow crews (2003); Able UK dismantling workforce (2008-2010)

   Limitations

   Authoritative for government custody and disposal milestones; contains no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information. Two acquisition entries (1991-02-28 and 1998-12-19) are unexplained in the record - consistent with an earlier NDRF custody entry followed by formal title transfer (NavSource/DANFS give the MARAD transfer as 1998-12-18); flagged in gaps. The 2003-10-06 'Interim Movement' date precedes the documented 2003-10-18 tow departure and is the record's label for the Able UK contract event.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-caloosahatchee-ao98-02

3. [3]Wildenberg, Thomas, 'Gray Steel and Black Oil: Fast Tankers and Replenishment at Sea in the U.S. Navy, 1912-1995' (Naval Institute Press/NHHC), ch. 22 'Jumboization, AORs, and the War in Southeast Asia' (HyperWar/ibiblio mirror); NHHC photo captions NH 85038/85040 via shipscribe.com [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   GSBO ch. 22, 'The AOR' section; NH 85038/85040 captions

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   The NHHC-published history of Navy replenishment documents the jumboization program: 'three Cimarron-class tankers - all originally built by Bethlehem Steel, Sparrows Point - were converted to AORs through the "jumboization" program initiated in 1963. The Ashtabula (AO-51), Caloosahatchee (AO-98), and Canisteo (AO-99) were enlarged by adding a new midsection that increased their liquid cargo capacity to 184,524 barrels and provided extra space to store 175 tons of munitions and 100 tons of refrigerated stores.' NHHC photo captions (NH 85038, NH 85040, via shipscribe) give the sequence at Bethlehem Steel Co., Baltimore Yards: stern detached from the old midbody 1968-06-04 and joined to the new midbody 1968-06-08; bow detached from the old midbody and joined to the new ship 1968-07-16; fully assembled ship undocked 1968-08-06.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1968-1969

   Population

   Bethlehem Steel Baltimore yards conversion workforce (1968-69); ship's force and shipyard trades during tear-out/rebuild

   Limitations

   Names this hull and documents the conversion event and dates; contains no asbestos or insulation-material statement. A major midlife cut-and-rebuild of a 1945 steam plant is a machinery-disturbance event consistent with insulation removal and renewal, but whether asbestos-containing material was removed or installed is not stated - asbestos scope is inference, recorded in ev-10. The exact recommissioning date after conversion is not given by DANFS or NavSource (a 1969-09-27 recommissioning date circulates unverified); flagged in gaps.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-caloosahatchee-ao98-03

4. [4]NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive, USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98), 09/19/19098 (direct fetch failed; Wayback capture used) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource AO-98 header block, specifications, awards display, commanding-officer table (Wayback capture 2024-12-27)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource Service Ship Photo Archive entry for USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98), 'Cimarron Class Fleet Oiler / Jumboized': laid down 1944-11-30 as Maritime Commission type T3-S2-A3 tanker hull (MC hull 2560) at Bethlehem Steel Shipyard, Sparrows Point, MD; launched 1945-06-02; commissioned 1945-10-10, CDR H. R. Livingston USNR; decommissioned 1990-02-28; struck from the Naval Register 1994-07-18; transferred to MARAD 1998-12-18 for layup in the NDRF James River, Fort Eustis VA; sold for scrapping to Able UK and removed from the Reserve Fleet October 2003 under tow to the UK. Technical table: 4 Foster-Wheeler K-type boilers (450 psi, 750 F), 2 Bethlehem geared turbines, double Falk main reduction gears, twin propellers, 13,500 shp; complement 22 officers/362 enlisted; jumboized figures 644 ft, 10,847 lt/34,750 fl. Awards display: Secretary of the Navy Letter of Commendation; Navy Unit Commendation; American Campaign Medal; WWII Victory Medal; National Defense Service Medal (2); Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Cuba, Dominican Republic, Grenada). CO list shows continuous command through the conversion window (CAPT Creamer to 1968-05-08; LCDR Rankin 1968-05-08 to 1969-05-28; CAPT McFarland from 1969-05-28).

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1944-2003

   Population

   Commissioned crew; conversion-yard workforce

   Limitations

   Specialist secondary archive whose milestone dates agree with DANFS/MARAD on every overlapping point except the MARAD transfer (1998-12-18 vs MARAD 1998-12-19 - immaterial). Propulsion table, awards display, and CO list are not independently verified against primary sources; the AFEM Cuba/Dominican Republic/Grenada awards are consistent with 1962 quarantine, 1965 intervention, and 1983 operations but are not stated in DANFS - carried as unverified service context in gaps. Complement figure (384 total) conflicts with DANFS (304); carried in gaps.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-caloosahatchee-ao98-04

5. [5]Basel Action Network v. Maritime Administration, 285 F. Supp. 2d 58 (D.D.C. Oct. 2, 2003), Civ.A. No. 03-2000(RMC) - CourtListener cluster 2577191 [court_record]

   Locator

   285 F. Supp. 2d 58, at *59-60 (ship named; MARAD hazmat disclosure); TRO disposition

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   Published federal opinion names this hull in asbestos-carrying export litigation. Basel Action Network v. Maritime Administration, 285 F. Supp. 2d 58 (D.D.C. 2003) (Collyer, J.): challenge by BAN and Sierra Club to MARAD's export of 13 defunct naval vessels from the James River to Able UK, Teesside, under the FY2003 NDAA export pilot program (Pub. L. 107-314 s.3501). The opinion states: 'The Canisteo and Caloosahatchee - built in the mid-1940s and presently in dangerously deteriorating condition - are slated to leave Virginia as soon as October 3, 2003,' and records that 'MARAD has informed officials in the United Kingdom that the 13 ships contain up to 100 tons of polychlorinated biphenyls ("PCBs"), as well as significant quantities of asbestos and fuel oil.' Holding: temporary restraining order issued for nine of the thirteen ships (no environmental assessment completed); the four ships covered by MARAD's 'functional equivalent' EA submitted to Congress - including this hull - were not enjoined and departed.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   2003

   Population

   Tow crews and Able UK dismantling workforce (as the exposed population contemplated by the hazmat disclosure)

   Limitations

   Classified at the least-final stage: this is a temporary-restraining-order opinion. The asbestos statement is the court's record of MARAD's fleet-level disclosure to UK officials - a characterization of the 13-ship cohort, not an adjudicated, ship-specific finding of asbestos quantity or condition aboard this hull. The litigation is environmental/export law (TSCA, NEPA, NMHA), not personal-injury exposure litigation. Establishes that this named hull was in the asbestos-disclosed export group; establishes no individual exposure, causation, or legal eligibility.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-caloosahatchee-ao98-05

6. [6]Basel Action Network v. Maritime Administration, 370 F. Supp. 2d 57 (D.D.C. Mar. 2, 2005), Civ.A. No. 03-2000(RMC) - docketed opinion, Doc. 69 [court_record]

   Locator

   370 F. Supp. 2d 57, background facts and holdings (filed opinion scan, Doc. 69, 1:03-cv-02000-RMC)

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   Merits disposition of the ghost-fleet litigation, again naming this hull: Basel Action Network v. Maritime Administration, 370 F. Supp. 2d 57 (D.D.C. Mar. 2, 2005) (Collyer, J.). The opinion records that 'The CALOOSAHATCHEE, CANISTEO, CANOPUS, and the COMPASS ISLAND - all ships from the JRRF, also known as the "Ghost Fleet" - safely reached the United Kingdom and are moored at the AbleUK facility in Teesside,' and that the UK Environment Agency's water/sediment review found no evidence the four ships had changed water or sediment quality in Seaton Channel or the Tees Estuary. After MARAD completed a Final EA (May 2004) and FONSI (2004-06-29), the court dismissed the complaint - holding NEPA does not apply to the high-seas tow (extraterritoriality) and that the TSCA claim failed for want of the mandatory 60-day citizen-suit notice.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   2003-2005

   Limitations

   Merits dismissal on legal grounds (NEPA extraterritorial reach; TSCA 60-day notice; NMHA) - the hazardous-material content of any ship was never adjudicated, and the dismissal establishes nothing about asbestos aboard this hull. Per batch litigation-stage discipline, the asbestos characterization stays at the TRO stage (ev-05): a recital of MARAD's disclosure, not a finding. The water/sediment review speaks to the estuary, not the ships' internal hazmat condition.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-caloosahatchee-ao98-06

7. [7]R (Gregan & Ors) v Hartlepool Borough Council & Able UK Ltd, [2003] EWHC 3278 (Admin), 18 December 2003 [court_record]

   Locator

   EWHC 3278 (Admin); corroborating coverage: The Independent 2003-12; Northern Echo 2003-12-19; BBC News Tees

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   UK judicial review of the dismantling permissions covering the four-ship cohort including this hull: R (Gregan and Others) v Hartlepool Borough Council and Able UK Ltd, [2003] EWHC 3278 (Admin) (QBD Administrative Court, Sullivan J., Dec. 18, 2003; docket CO/5755/2003). The court held the local council's position that existing planning permission covered ship dismantling was legally flawed, and the Environment Agency conceded that its September 30, 2003 modification of Able UK's waste management licence could not stand - leaving the four arrived ships (Caloosahatchee, Canisteo, Canopus, Compass Island) moored at Hartlepool without lawful dismantling authority until fresh permissions were obtained (waste licence issued June 2008).

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   2003

   Population

   Able UK site workforce; Hartlepool residents (regulatory context)

   Limitations

   BAILII returned HTTP 403 to automated fetch during research - judgment text not retrieved; the citation, date, court, judge, docket, and holding are verified through multiple independent secondary reports (Independent, Northern Echo, BBC) and the D.D.C. merits opinion's own account of the UK proceedings. The judgment addresses the four-ship cohort; whether its text names Caloosahatchee specifically is unconfirmed. Planning/licensing litigation - reaches no finding about asbestos content aboard any ship.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-caloosahatchee-ao98-07

8. [8]Los Angeles Times, 'Town Rolls Out Unwelcome Mat for Ghost Fleet' (2003-11-09) [reputable_press]

   Locator

   LA Times 2003-11-09 article, per-ship hazmat paragraph

   Finding type

   environmental_record

   Finding

   Ship-specific asbestos quantity reported for this hull: the Los Angeles Times reported that, per Friends of the Earth's reading of MARAD documents it had obtained, 'the World War II-era auxiliary oil tankers Canisteo and Caloosahatchee, each contain 34.1 tons of non-liquid polychlorinated biphenyls ... and 61 tons of asbestos.' This is the only per-hull asbestos tonnage located for AO-98 in public sources.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   2003

   Population

   Able UK dismantling workforce (material handled at breaking)

   Limitations

   Press-reported figure attributed to MARAD documents obtained by an environmental NGO - the underlying MARAD per-ship inventory was not retrieved, so the ~61-ton figure is verified as reported but unverified against its primary source. The figure describes hazardous material aboard at disposal (2003), not exposure history; it does not establish where the asbestos was located, its condition, or any individual exposure. Whether any of it was removed or added during the 1968-69 jumboization is unknown.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-caloosahatchee-ao98-08

9. [9]Hansard, House of Lords, 'Ship Breaking' - HL Deb 07 October 2003 vol 653 cc145-8 [other_primary]

   Locator

   HL Deb 07 Oct 2003 vol 653 cc145-8, Lord Whitty answers

   Finding type

   regulatory

   Finding

   Official UK parliamentary record on the export cohort that included this hull: in the House of Lords (HL Deb 7 October 2003, vol 653, cc145-8), the minister (Lord Whitty) stated that the Maritime and Coastguard Agency had surveyed the ships for seaworthiness, that 'the ships contain some toxic waste in relation to asbestos and other materials, although less than 1.5 per cent of their total bulk could be so described,' and that 'Imports of asbestos are normally banned, but the HSE grants exemptions, and it did so in this case' - i.e., the UK Health and Safety Executive exempted the shipment from the asbestos import ban.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   2003

   Population

   Able UK dismantling workforce (regulated population contemplated by the HSE exemption)

   Limitations

   Cohort-level government statement about 'the ships' (the 13-vessel export contract; this hull's membership in the first four is established by the D.D.C. opinion and MARAD) - Hansard does not name this hull. The <1.5%-of-bulk characterization and the HSE exemption document that the cohort was treated as asbestos-containing waste imports; no per-ship quantity is given.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-caloosahatchee-ao98-09

10. [10]Consolidated inference - NHHC photo captions NH 85038/85040 + MARAD ShipHistory image set (ev-02, ev-03) + GSBO ch. 22 [other_primary]

    Locator

    Conversion-event documentation rows for this hull

    Finding type

    asbestos_application

    Finding

    Jumboization disturbance inference: the 1968-69 conversion at Bethlehem Steel's Baltimore yards cut the hull apart and inserted a new midbody (stern detached 1968-06-04, bow detached and rejoined 1968-07-16, undocked 1968-08-06; fitting out into 1969) - a tear-out/rebuild event on a 1945 steam plant at a yard documented in the Atlas shipyard dataset as a WWII-era Bethlehem operation. Work of this scope on a steam ship of this era is consistent with removal of original insulation and installation of new materials, but no located source states the asbestos scope of the conversion.

    Verification

    inferred

    Role

    supporting

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-09-24

    Study period

    1968-1969

    Population

    Bethlehem Baltimore yards conversion workforce (1968-69)

    Limitations

    Inference only - the conversion event is documented for this hull, but no work package, specification, or survey states that asbestos-containing material was removed, disturbed, or installed. Yard-era inference cannot establish what the conversion did to insulation aboard this hull.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-caloosahatchee-ao98-10

11. [11]Consolidated era inference - NavSource propulsion table for this hull (ev-04) + documented WWII shipbuilding practice (class/era level) [other_primary]

    Locator

    Type technical data for this hull; era construction practice

    Finding type

    asbestos_application

    Finding

    Era/design inference for the hull as built: a 1945 Bethlehem-Sparrows Point emergency-program T3-S2-A3 tanker plant - four Foster-Wheeler K-type boilers (450 psi, 750 F) driving two Bethlehem geared turbines - implies the standard wartime insulation pathway: boiler and steam-line lagging, turbine insulation, valve and flange gaskets, machinery packing, and accommodation/bulkhead fireproofing, for which period products commonly contained asbestos fiber.

    Verification

    inferred

    Role

    supporting

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-09-24

    Study period

    1944-1990

    Population

    Bethlehem Sparrows Point construction trades (1944-45); operating crews 1945-1990

    Limitations

    Class/era inference only - no ship-specific material schedule or construction survey located. The end-of-life cohort documentation (ev-05, ev-08, ev-09) establishes the hull was treated as asbestos-containing at disposal in 2003, which is consistent with but does not prove original-construction content. Establishes no quantities and no exposure for any individual.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-caloosahatchee-ao98-11

12. [12]BBC News, 'The legacy of Hartlepool's US Navy ghost ships' (2013-10); BBC News Tees, 'Third ghost ship arrives' (2003-11-27); The Northern Echo, ghost-fleet coverage (Oct-Nov 2003) [reputable_press]

    Locator

    BBC 2013 retrospective (arrival date, licence date, completion); BBC 2003-11-27 (Caloosahatchee boarding photo caption); Northern Echo 2003-10/11

    Finding type

    environmental_record

    Finding

    Disposal timeline corroborated by reputable press: BBC's retrospective documents that the Caloosahatchee was the first 'ghost ship' to arrive (12 November 2003), that the Environment Agency issued the waste management licence enabling dismantling in June 2008 after Able UK satisfied it the work would not harm surrounding wildlife, and that dismantling work was completed January 2011. Contemporaneous Northern Echo coverage documents the Environment Agency's October 2003 withdrawal of approval because dry-dock planning/environmental requirements were unmet, describing the vessels as 'contaminated with chemicals including PCBs, asbestos and heavy diesel,' and BBC's November 2003 report shows Able UK staff examining the interior of the Caloosahatchee (27 November 2003).

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    supporting

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-24

    Study period

    2003-2011

    Population

    Able UK dismantling workforce; Tees estuary environment

    Limitations

    Press corroboration of dates and regulatory events for this named hull; the 'contaminated with ... asbestos' phrasing is a fleet-level characterization applied to the four-ship group in coverage, not a ship-specific survey statement. Completion date: BBC gives January 2011 for the overall dismantling program while MARAD's milestone for this hull records withdrawal 2010-04-21 - both carried, the difference noted in gaps.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-caloosahatchee-ao98-12

13. [13]Maritime Journal, 'Ghost Ships Scare Up Government Reversal' (2003), reporting Det Norske Veritas figures; Somerset County Gazette 2003-11 same figures [reputable_press]

    Locator

    Maritime Journal 2003 article, DNV hazmat paragraph

    Finding type

    environmental_record

    Finding

    Fleet-cohort hazmat totals reported from the Det Norske Veritas assessment of the 13 export ships: ~3,540 tonnes of oil, ~2,872 tonnes of oily ballast water, ~1,402 tonnes of asbestos characterized as 'fireproofing on bulkheads and floors,' ~698 tonnes of solid and liquid PCBs 'mainly in wiring and circuitry,' plus ~345 kg ozone-depleting substances, ~9 kg mercury, and cadmium/chromium/lead-based paint. Caloosahatchee was a documented member of this cohort (one of the first four towed).

    Verification

    partial

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-09-24

    Study period

    2003

    Population

    Able UK dismantling workforce (cohort level)

    Limitations

    Cohort totals, not a per-ship inventory - the 13-ship figures cannot be divided to yield this hull's content (per-ship values varied; the LA Times reports ~61 t asbestos for this hull specifically). The DNV per-vessel survey reports were not retrieved; figures are as reported in maritime press. 'Asbestos fireproofing on bulkheads and floors' is DNV's material characterization for the fleet.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-caloosahatchee-ao98-13

14. [14]Batch-1946 search ledger (this record): CourtListener API v4 authenticated searches 2026-09-24 (opinion + RECAP docket indexes); see search_ledger rows sl-05 through sl-08 [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-caloosahatchee-ao98-05 through -08

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Negative finding and litigation-sweep classification. CourtListener opinion search 'Caloosahatchee' (58 hits): the only vessel-related hits are the two Basel Action Network opinions (ev-05, ev-06); all remaining hits are name collisions on the Caloosahatchee River (Florida water/land-use litigation), 'Caloosahatchee Construction, Inc.' (Chinese-drywall MDL defendant), 'Caloosahatchee Jack's Bar & Grill,' and docket-number coincidences. Hull-number search ('USS Caloosahatchee' OR 'AO-98', 7 opinion hits): all collisions (e.g., 'No. AO-98' Florida docket numbers). RECAP docket search 'Caloosahatchee' (79 dockets) and '"Caloosahatchee" asbestos' (17 dockets): matches inside asbestos-PI dockets (MDL-875 omnibus; D. Md. Baltimore-removal cases incl. Harper v. Anchor Packing 1:12-cv-00460 and Hurley v. Anchor Packing 1:12-cv-00462; Abril v. Air & Liquid Systems, S.D. Ill. 3:22-cv-00528; Tallman v. CBS; Dilks v. 4520 Corp.) occur inside documents not visible in search snippets - unverified whether the term names the vessel, the river, or an entity; flagged as archival lead. No asbestos survey, abatement contract, or adjudicated personal-injury case naming this hull was located.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-24

    Study period

    2026-09-24

    Limitations

    Absence of a located docketed PI case does not prove none was ever filed - RECAP coverage is incomplete for older/state cases, and the unresolved asbestos-docket matches may hold plaintiff disclosures listing this ship. The 2003-05 Basel Action Network litigation is qualifying vessel litigation but is environmental/export law, not asbestos personal-injury. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-caloosahatchee-ao98-14

15. [15]NARA Guide to Federal Records (RG 19 ship records; RG 178 Maritime Commission); MARAD ShipHistory Detail/656 documents/cards sections; UK Environment Agency public register [other_primary]

    Locator

    Record-group and repository mapping only

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads not retrieved (no spend authorized / not digitized): (a) MARAD's four-ship 'functional equivalent' environmental assessment submitted to Congress in 2003 - the document underlying the TRO opinion's hazmat characterization, likely containing per-ship inventories; (b) the Det Norske Veritas per-vessel hazardous-material survey reports produced for MARAD's disposal program; (c) MARAD ShipHistory status-card scans for AO-98 (656_RS10328AF/AB) - image URLs not resolvable via the public site; (d) NARA holdings - WWII-era deck logs, Maritime Commission contract/outfitting records for MC hull 2560, and 1968-69 jumboization work packages; (e) UK Environment Agency/HSE files - the TFS authorisation, the asbestos import-ban exemption, and Able UK's 2008 waste-licence application documents; (f) the matched documents inside the RECAP asbestos-PI dockets listed in ev-14.

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-24

    Study period

    2003-2010 records; 1944-1990 records

    Limitations

    Repository-level mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed. Whether per-ship asbestos inventories exist in the MARAD EA, DNV reports, or EA/HSE files is unknown until surveyed. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-caloosahatchee-ao98-15

16. [16]U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-05-264 (Feb. 2005) [gao]

    Locator

    GAO-05-264 report text (ship-export program section)

    Finding type

    regulatory

    Finding

    GAO program review documenting the disposal program and litigation posture: GAO-05-264 ('Maritime Administration: Improved Program Management Needed to Address Timely Disposal of Obsolete Ships,' Feb. 2005) records that Congress directed an overseas pilot program of up to four ships in 2002; MARAD awarded a 13-ship scrapping contract to a UK company in 2003 (nine more than authorized); a citizen-group lawsuit led a U.S. court to limit initial export to four ships; and MARAD selected for export four ships 'among the ships in the best condition included in the contract, in part, because they could be prepared for towing the quickest.'

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-24

    Study period

    2001-2005

    Limitations

    Program-level documentation - does not name this hull (the four exported ships are described collectively; this hull's membership is established by ev-05/ev-06). Full PDF returned HTTP 403 to automated fetch (consistent with prior batches); content verified via product page and indexed text. No asbestos content.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-caloosahatchee-ao98-16