What happens to old submarines?
The Navy is very environmentally conscious. A lot of care is taken in disposing of decommissioned submarines responsibly. The nuclear fuel is removed from the reactor and sent to Idaho for processing. The nuclear reactor compartments are cut out, carefully sealed and taken to an approved disposal site in Washington State. After the submarine’s hazardous materials are properly removed and disposed of, the submarines are then stored at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington where they are eventually cut up and the various metals recycled.
The Navy is very environmentally conscious. A lot of care is taken in disposing of decommissioned submarines responsibly. The nuclear fuel is removed from the reactor and sent to Idaho for processing. The nuclear reactor compartments are cut out, carefully sealed and taken to an approved disposal site in Washington State. After the submarine’s hazardous materials are properly removed and disposed of, the submarines are then stored at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington where they are eventually cut up and the various metals recycled.
