LONG BEACH : Amendment Would Limit Repairs at Naval Shipyard
The Long Beach Naval Shipyard would not be able to repair ships based in San Diego under an amendment approved by the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday.
The shipyard, with more than 4,100 civilian employees, is the Navy’s main repair yard on the West Coast. But the Long Beach Naval Station is scheduled to close in 1996, leaving the shipyard with fewer vessels to repair. Eleven House members proposed making the yard part of the San Diego home port area so ships from that port could be repaired in Long Beach.
“If we can do a better job at a cheaper price we should get the contract,” said Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Long Beach).
However, on an amendment to the Defense Authorization Bill by Rep. Duncan L. Hunter (R-Coronado), the House panel voted 28-25 to forbid the secretary of the Navy from expanding the San Diego home port area to include Long Beach or San Pedro. Under Navy rules, most repair work must be done within 75 miles of the ship’s home port.
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