Everett, Wash.
Published: Monday, November 26, 2007

Governor suggests changing course on ferries

By Jerry Cornfield
Herald Writer

 OLYMPIA – Gov. Chris Gregoire said this morning she thinks some of the millions of dollars pledged toward building four new large car ferries should be used instead to fix or replace aging Steel Electric vessels taken out of service last Tuesday.

The state is currently negotiating with three shipyards on a $342 million contract to build four, 144-car ferries.

“I candidly don’t believe there is enough money to build four but there’s more than enough money to build three so that extra money has always been directed, in my opinion, to the Steel Electrics,” Gregoire said.

Decisions on how to redirect any of the money will require support of the Legislature which cannot take action until it convenes next year.

“This will be discussed throughout the legislative session,” she told reporters this morning.

Whether dollars would go to replace the hulls of the 80-year-old vessels or to build new boats is the subject of ongoing conversations including a meeting this afternoon in Seattle involving state legislators and Department of Transportation officials.

Gregoire said officials must decide between repairs to existing boats or “do we just give up on those (steel) electric ferries and say the fact of the matter is they have to be totally replaced.”

The state’s four Steel Electric class vessels were pulled out of service by state Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond amid concerns about their safety after close inspection by crews on the Quinault found deep pitting and corrosion in the oldest steel along the keel.

Gov. Chris Gregoire's press conference on the Web. Ferry comments are about 23:44 in:

http://www.tvw.org/media/liveevents.cfm?bhcp=1
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