It is going to be expensive to scrap those ships. There are so many hazardous materials (oil, asbestos etc.) and the environmental laws in the US are strict. Most commercial ships are scrapped in places like Indonesia with lax environmental laws.
Well these are going to Texas so, no doubt Texas will ignore any enviro laws. NOT! Years ago (late 60’s) we went to Orange Texas on the Sabine river to salvage material from old destroyers that were to be scrapped. Pretty sure neither of these could get up the Sabine river so off to Brownsville. Interesting trip for the Kitty Hawk being towed around the Straits of Magellan. I’ve been on open ocean tows. It can be, uh, exciting at times. Can it not go through the Panama Canal? Due to being towed or do the Chinese not want it transiting there. Anyone? Bueller?
Exactly correct. This is the common procedure for the bulk-commercial ship business, so much more so with highly complex warships. The scrapper is actually taking a big risk - their only revenue is the scrap steel, and the market for that is unpredictable. Just because building the thing now would cost $billions, all it is now, for DoD purposes, is a useless hunk of metal.