WA ferries are going hybrid-electric. Disposal of old ones presents problems

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Washington State orders 3 hybrid-electric ferries, targets full fleet by 2040.

Old ferry disposal faces legal, environmental hurdles due to hazardous materials.

Lack of West Coast shipbreaking yard complicates sustainable vessel recycling.

An abandoned former Washington state ferry, the Olympic, rests slanted on a shoreline off Ketron Island, in southern Puget Sound. Aboard, flakes of corroded steel and other debris scatter across the floors, graffiti lines the walls, and at high tide, water pours over the deck. Rust has crept over its forest green paint, the signature color of Washington State Ferries. Some 25 years ago, the Olympic sold for $71,000 at a state surplus auction. Years later, it sold again. This time, allegedly, on eBay.