Oh what a beautiful ship: Nuclear Ship Savannah (NS Savannah)!
The nation’s first nuclear-powered commercial ship failed in its mission but is still a beautiful sight to see. The ship went out of service in 1970 and is now docked in Baltimore for the last several years. The NS Savannah ship failed in its efforts to be a dual cargo-passenger ship and is now undergoing decommissioning. SRS Watch staff was lucky to spot the ship and kayak around her as she was anchored in the James River , Virginia “ghost fleet” in the late 1990s, before being moved to Baltimore.
No violations were found by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission on its recent inspection. NRC report from January 8, 2020:
U.S. Department of Transportation
N.S. Savannah
NRC Inspection Report No. 05000238/2019002
A routine announced safety inspection was conducted on December 17, 2019, by a Region I inspector at the Nuclear Ship (N.S.) Savannah, currently berthed at Drydock 3 at the Philadelphia Ship Yard in Philadelphia, PA. NRC oversight of the decommissioning project is managed by staff from the NRC’s Reactor Decommissioning Branch, Division of Decommissioning, Uranium Recovery, & Waste Programs (DUWP), Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS) with inspection support from the NRC Region I office.
The N.S. Savannah is classified by the NRC as a research and test reactor. The program for overseeing the decommissioning of research and test reactors is described in Inspection Manual Chapter (IMC) 2545, “Research and Test Reactor Inspection Program.” The inspection included a review of the programs and activities associated with the N.S. Savannah while the vessel is undergoing decommissioning. The inspection consisted of observations and tours by the inspectors, interviews with N.S. Savannah personnel, and a review of procedures and records. Based on the results of this inspection, no findings of safety significance were identified.
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January 16, 2020: We’re informed that the ship was taken to Philadelphia for repairs and it’s unclear if she’s now back in Baltimore:
Philadelphia Inquirer, September 11, 2019
NS Savannah, nation’s first nuclear-powered merchant ship, brought to Philadelphia for dry docking
https://www.inquirer.com/news/ns-savannah-philadelphia-camden-dry-dock-nuclear-powered-20190911.html
The NS Savannah has been in Philadelphia but may be headed back to its dock in Baltimore by mid-February 2020.
See NRC and DOT emails: https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?AccessionNumber=ML20031D615