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DERELICT BOATS IN THE SAN JUAN ISLANDS |
23 derelict vessels removed in past yearposted 04/25/2006
With this partnership, 23 abandoned vessels were removed in the past 12 months. Eight were sunk in sensitive or busy areas, six floating loose or going onto rocks and several others were caught as they began to sink. Others were removed by owners who were identified and contacted. Removal of several others is still pending under this program. Another batch of abandoned derelicts has been identified, from Reid Harbor to Mud Bay, and may be included in the two year project extension DNR is offering. Under this program DNR has provided up to 80 percent compensation for the cost of the removals and the partners provide the cash and in-kind services to pay for the rest. For any vessel whose owner can be identified, however, the owner is responsible for the entire cost of the removal. Owners have borne the salvage costs of several of the vessels removed during the past year. The county and the local partners have borne about 17 percent of the total costs so far and consider the clean-up results well worth it, according to county staff. Derelict vessel law changedposted 04/04/2006
The bill also allows the Derelict Vessel Removal Account to accept funds from other sources, such as grants, and establishes an appeal process to ensure due process for vessel owners. Senator Harriet Spanel (D-40th) was one of the sponsors of the bill. The complete text is available in a PDF here PREVIOUS STORIESSwan sinks
posted 06/30/05 Island Oil Spill Association members did an initial assessment and found there was a slight sheen near the Swan but no significant amount of fuel or oil was coming from the sunken vessel. Gas, oil and solvent cans could be seen floating in the cabin. The cans could escape when the Swan breaks up. Jackie Wolfe from IOSA notified the Coast Guard of the sinking. IOSA will boom the boat until the Swan can be emptied of debris and check for hazardous materials at the next low tide. Washington State Department of Ecology will fund the booming. The last registered owner of the vessel has been contacted. The Swan is resting in about six feet of water on state land managed by the Department of Natural Resources and appears to be in an area under the jurisdiction of San Juan County. Boat sinks in Beaverton Cove
Photos by Matt Pranger
posted 01/31/05
DNR will pay 75 percent of the cost of removal and disposal of derelict vessels. Jim Slocomb of the county's Marine Resource Committee has presented information about the program to the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC), Port of Friday Harbor Commissioners, and Friday Harbor Town Council. All three have agreed in principle to the program and are in the process of working out the details. The most recent discussion was held Jan. 18 with the BOCC. Under the program, the appropriate agency - Town, County or Port - would take possession of the vessel and would be responsible for 25 percent of the cost. The 25 percent can be contributed through inkind services. Funding for the state portion of the program comes from a $2 surcharge on annual Washington vessel registration fee and a $5 surcharge on the cost to obtain a foreign vessel identification document. The surcharges raise approximately $400,000 a year. Removal of the derelict vessels is prioritized. An inventory of reported derelict vessels is posted on the DNR Web site. DNR grateful for IOSAStory by Sharon Kivisto Top photo contributed by Terry Whalen posted 06/11/04
The boat sank in Beaverton Cove May 26, 2004. Knight coordinated the efforts to contain the 160 gallons of hydraulic fluid onboard. Pollution mitigation is under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Coast Guard. IOSA has a contract with the Coast Guard and has the authority to hire subcontractors.
Divers sealed off one of the two 80 gallon tanks containing the hydraulic fluid and worked with Les Soland of A1 Marine to refloat the boat. Brandon Stolard of Sound Diving and Dock Repair and Terry Whalen of Professional Diving Services did the diving. Nine IOSA volunteers worked over the Memorial Day weekend. They mopped up the fluid that surfaced from one of the tanks. Once the pollutants were taken care of, the Coast Guard's jurisdiction ended. The vessel would become the state Department of Resources problem if it sank again. Because of Knight's coordination efforts, Wilson had time to hire the Pintail to haul the vessel to Port Townsend before it sank again. If the boat sank, DNR would have considered it a high priority. The cost for salvaging other vessels has cost the Derelict Vessel program about $50,000 according to Wilson.
Tim Delapp, owner of the Pintail towed the Panther to the Port of Port Townsend June 3. He said there was the largest tide exchange of the year, very rough seas in Cattle Pass. We had to put additional manpower and pumps on the vessel to deal with rapidly rising water in bilges, he said. DNR has temporary possession of the derelict boat. The next step in the process is for DNR to gain custody. Public notices will be posted. The owner will be mailed a notice. Wilson has set July 7 as the custody date.
A marine surveyor will assess the seaworthiness of the boat. If it is seaworthy, it will be put up for auction and the proceeds used to help redeem the cost of the recovery. Most likely the boat will be dismantled, Wilson said. Several people in Port Townsend have inquired about buying some of the parts of the boat. The derelict recovery program began in late 2002. "It runs very well," WIlson said. " We've had extremely good interactions with the ports." Under the program, public agencies take temporary possession of derelict vessels. DNR pays 75 percent of the recovery costs. The agencies cover the other 25 percent. Staff time or in kind contributions count towards the 25 percent. Wilson stressed the fact citizens can report a derelict boat. "Anyone can report them by calling 360.902.1100," she said. Panther refloated
Panther in Beaverton Bay at low tide surrounded by IOSA oil boom. Photos by Steve Simpson | ||
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Panther refloated. |
posted 06/04/04
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160 gallons of hydraulic fluid in sunken boat
posted 06/02/04
Knight said nine volunteers have been involved in the clean up operation. She noted they worked during the holiday weekend. They deserve recognition, she said. The removal of the hazardous waste comes under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Coast Guard. IOSA is under contract to respond to spills in the San Juans. The cost of removal of the derelict vessel is another story. Vessel Assist will attempt to bring up the boat during low tide on Thursday, June 3. The cost of the removal may be covered by the Derelict Vessel Removal Program (DVRP). Knight said Port Director Steve Simpson and staff from the Friday Harbor University of Washington Labs are looking into that. The state legislature passed House Bill 2376 in 2002 creating the Derelict Vessels Act. Under RCW 79.100 certain public entities are authorized to take temporary possession and custody of vessels meeting the definitions of derelict or abandoned. The Port of Friday Harbor, the Town of Friday Harbor and San Juan County qualify for the program. Participation in the program is voluntary. The public entities do not have a duty to take on the responsibility. Jim Slocomb of the county's Marine Resource Committee has presented information about the program to the Board of County Commissioners, Friday Harbor Port Commissioners and Friday Harbor Town Council. Under the program, DNR will pay up to 75 percent of the cost of removal and disposal of derelict vessels. Funding for the program comes from a $2 surcharge on annual Washington vessel registration fee and a $5 surcharge on the cost to obtain a foreign vessel identification document. The surcharges raise approximately $400,000 a year. Removal of the derelict vessels is prioritized. An inventory of reported derelict vessels is posted on the DNR Web site. The list was last updated in April, 2004. At that time one boat, Greybeard in Deer Harbor was listed on the completed list. An unknown boat on Lopez Island and the Windlass on Orcas Island were the only boats from San Juan County on the list of vessels to be removed. They both have a priority of 5, which means the vessels meet the definition of derelict or abandoned but are not in danger of breaking up, sinking, or do not present a threat to human health/safety, the environment or navigation. Public entities can apply for reimbursement after the fact. The 25 percent matching fund can be staff time or in kind contributions. Several entities can team up and split the 25 percent match. Derelict boat problem increasingposted 01/29/02
He told the Port Commissioners at their Jan. 23, 2002 meeting about one boat which was half sunk earlier this month (Jan. 2002). "The Islands Oil Spill Association (IOSA) bagged and cleaned up (materials leaking from the boat) and the Coast Guard insisted they put the boat back where it was." HB 2376 would give local jurisdictions the authority to store, strip, use, auction, sell, salvage, scrap, or dispose of an abandoned or derelict vessel. The first reading of the bill was held on Jan. 16, 2002. It was referred to Natural Resources. According to IOSA, the association has been paged 294 times since 1988; 59 of those calls required ongoing clean-up, recovery of fuel and/or removal of other pollutants. Many of the calls involved sinking or sunken boats. HB 2376 - DIGESTFinds that there has been an increase in the number of derelict and abandoned vessels that are either grounded or anchored upon publicly or privately owned submerged lands. These vessels are public nuisances and safety hazards as they often pose hazards to navigation, detract from the aesthetics of Washington's waterways, and threaten the environment with the potential release of hazardous materials. Finds that the costs associated with the disposal of derelict and abandoned vessels are substantial, and that in many cases there is no way to track down the current vessel owners in order to seek compensation. As a result, the costs associated with the removal of derelict vessels becomes a burden on public entities and the taxpaying public. Declares that it is unlawful for a person, firm, corporation, or public entity to leave an abandoned or derelict vessel upon aquatic lands in this state. If the owner or operator of a vessel previously thought to be abandoned is located, the owner or operator of the vessel must be given a reasonable opportunity to obtain proper authorization to relocate the vessel onto publicly owned aquatic lands, either through relocation to a marina or in accordance with RCW 79.90.105. Provides that an authorized public entity has the authority, subject to the processes and limitations of this act, to store, strip, use, auction, sell, salvage, scrap, or dispose of an abandoned or derelict vessel existing on or above aquatic lands within the jurisdiction of the authorized public entity. More information is available on the State Legislature Web site |
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