A study warns of the danger posed by sunken U.S. warships: no one knows where they are

In 2013, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration identified 87 shipwrecks from World War I and World War II in U.S. waters. These wrecks pose an environmental risk because of the hazardous materials they still carry. With thousands of barrels of fuel onboard, they represent a serious and growing ecological threat.

One of those vessels is the SS William Rockefeller, which was sunk by a German submarine in 1942. The ship burned for 12 hours before drifting and eventually sinking off the coast of North Carolina.

At the time, it was one of the largest oil tankers in the world. For more than 80 years, it has remained underwater with 135,000 barrels of fuel oil, or about 5.67 million gallons, still onboard. As the wreck continues to deteriorate with age, that fuel could eventually leak out, potentially causing a major environmental disaster.

Genuine True ticking time bombs resting on the ocean floor

One of the biggest problems with shipwrecks like these is that their exact locations are often unknown, making recovery extremely difficult. The SS William Rockefeller is one of the 87 high-risk wrecks in U.S. waters considered potential sources of pollution.

A major concern is that steel structures left in saltwater long enough will inevitably corrode. If that happens, the fuel trapped inside these underwater graves for nearly a century could be released into the surrounding ocean.

This pollution risk has alarmed maritime archaeologists such as Michael Brennan, who note that “locating and and documenting potentially polluting wrecks is essential in determining the risks they pose” and whether recovering the fuel cargo is possible or necessary.

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