KITTERY (AP) – Congressional leaders and governors from Maine and New Hampshire rallied around the workers of Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on Monday, calling the Pentagon’s inclusion of the shipyard on its base closure list an outrageous mistake based on bad information.

In a show of unity, they marched with workers through the shipyard’s gates, then aimed praise at workers and barbs at the Defense Department.

“It’s pretty obvious that a colossal mistake has been made by the Navy and the Defense Department,” said Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H.

Many, like Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, questioned how the shipyard, which on Thursday received a “meritorious unit commendation” for its “phenomenal record” of refueling and overhauling nuclear submarines ahead of schedule, below cost, safely and well, could land on the Pentagon’s closure list the following day.

“Now either that is an act of cruelty, which it is, but it most certainly is an act of incompetence” she said. “We all share the outrage of the betrayal of trust of the most skilled work force of the best shipyard in the United States Navy.”

Democratic Govs. John Baldacci of Maine and John Lynch of New Hampshire pledged to fight the closure of the shipyard, which employs 4,300 civilians, mostly in Maine and New Hampshire, plus some from Massachusetts.

“We’re committing all of the resources necessary. This is going to be an all-out effort on behalf of our states,” Baldacci said.

Lynch recently signed a bill giving $100,000 to groups working to save the shipyard.

The Pentagon says its list of proposed closures and realignments will save money and prepare for the return of thousands of U.S. troops from overseas to domestic bases in coming years. President Bush will review a final list in the fall.

Sen. John Sununu, R-N.H. questioned how closing Portsmouth would save money, given its record of fast, cost-efficient work.

According to shipyard data, refueling overhauls performed at Portsmouth cost $75 million less than at other shipyards. Portsmouth also returns submarines to sea six months sooner than other shipyards do, officials said.

“Those are the facts and the Navy chose to ignore many, if not all, of those facts in making their decision,” Sununu said. He said the delegations would review the Defense Department’s data and try to persuade a congressionally chartered commission to remove Portsmouth from the list.

Portsmouth was targeted – and escaped – closure in 1993 and 1995. But the 2005 closure round is different because the Navy’s submarine fleet is expected to drop to 50 – half of the number under President Reagan. Also shrinking is the number of public shipyards capable of overhauling and refueling nuclear submarines. There are four: in Kittery; Bremerton, Wash.; Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; and Norfolk, Va. On the East Coast, the Pentagon’s plans would add 2,000 jobs in Norfolk.

Gregg said the Pentagon must look beyond the current war on terrorism to recognize the value of nuclear submarines for national security.

“We don’t know what the threat’s going to be in 40 or 50 years. It’s probably going to be a nation-state that has a deep water navy, and if they do they’re going to have submarines then we’re going to need submarines to respond to them,” he said.

“If you close this yard you are going to lose generations of skills. You are going to lose a facility that could never be replaced.”

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