USS Edson Project Mired in Naval Bureaucracy

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USS Edson Project Set to Go Here, But Mired in Navy Bureaucracy in D.C.

Rep. Kildee's Aide Still Working to Get Navy to Release Ship

October 25, 2010
By: Dave Rogers

The Saginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum has about $1 million in the bank.

It has a line of credit of $500,000 from the Bay County Growth Alliance.

A list of more than 500 financial supporters is posted on the organization's website.

The dock is in.

Parking area is cleared.

Mooring dolphins are being installed.

Where's the ship?

"We've done everything we can and Sen. Carl Levin has done all he can," said Jim Lewis, aide to U.S. Rep. Dale F. Kildee.

We just keep running into an impenetrable Navy bureaucracy," said Mr. Lewis.

However, Rep. Kildee and Mr. Lewis haven't given up hope and are making more attempts to get the Navy's Bureau of Ships to release the ship.

"We're making another run at it," said Mr. Lewis.

Supporters noted that another shipping season is nearly finished, shoving the project into another spring, this one spring 2011.

Dozens of local individuals, businesses and organizations have contributed up to $100,000 each to the project in the 15 years it has been active.

The community is fully invested, and we appreciate the high level of community support," say the organizers, Mike Kegley and Dick Janke.

The pair has worked tirelessly and still go into their office on Wilder Road every day to write another letter, follow another regulation of the Environmental Protection Agency, tie up another loose end with the Navy.

"We have completed all the requirements, so we don't know what the problem is," said Mr. Kegley.

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