EPA delays USS Wisconsin donation

NORFOLK, Va. - Along Norfolk's Waterside drive, the USS Wisconsin sits dressed in steel gray. Since arriving at Nauticus in 2000, tourists stroll the teak decks and snap pictures of its 16-inch guns.

Gene Biesecker volunteers his time and knows Wisconsin well. He served in the 1950's.

"We just did a lot of firing on Korea but we never got hit but one time, that was on March 12. We were getting ready to come home the next day," Biesecker told WAVY.com.

The Navy decided to donate its last and largest battleship to Norfolk in October 2007. Mayor Paul Fraim says once the city takes command, more areas will be opened to the public. However, he project comes with a hefty price tag.

"The city has put aside over the years in various budgets over six million dollars to handle this cost," said Mayor Fraim.

However, EPA regulations require the ship to meet certain environmental standards. The city learned a few days ago about the regulations, which could delay their vote to accept the gift.

"We're in a little bit of void here because of this, because the Navy has run out of their budget to pay us to keep the ship and at the same time the EPA is stopping them from donating the ship to us," said Mayor Fraim.

WAVY.com learned that from December 2000 to March 2009 the Navy paid Norfolk $2.8 million to berth Wisconsin. There's no set date to turn her over, says NAVSEA spokesperson Kathleen Roberts. "Every ship donation is slightly different so we don't usually have a specific date or timeline that we follow because every ship has a different donation situation," Roberts said.

Biesecker knows Wisconsin will find fair winds to follow through. "It's a great honor to come out here and when I walk on that deck I can feel all the greatest admiration in my life to this city and all the people that served on this ship."

WAVY.com has learned the Navy will continue to pay the city $14,500 a month until the turn over.