DERELICT AND ABANDONED VESSELS: A UNIQUE STATE APPROACH TO PREVENTION AND REMOVAL

ABSTRACT # 2017-408 The Texas General Land Office (TGLO) has developed an innovative and cost effective approach to dispose of abandoned vessels along the Texas coast. For years, unscrupulous vessel owners have removed serial numbers and registration information from primarily fiberglass boats and cast them adrift in remote or isolated areas along the Texas coast. Weather incidents have also contributed to hundreds of abandoned vessels in or near Texas waters. These vessels, which often still have fuel and lubricants on board, present a threat to the environment, navigation and public safety. Unfortunately, budget constraints, jurisdictional boundaries, and regulations prevent the local, state and federal agencies that have an interest in removing these vessels from taking action. The TGLO strategy is designed to help rid coastal areas of abandoned vessels before they enter coastal water. The Vessel Turn-In Program, known as VTIP, promotes partnerships by pooling the unique funding, capital and human resources of government entities and stakeholders to form a cost effective approach to eliminating abandoned vessels and the pollution they create.

ABANDONED VESSEL AUTHORITIES AND BEST PRACTICES GUIDANCE- A REVIEW OF NRT WORK

ABSTRACT Abandoned and derelict vessels are a problem in almost every U.S. port and waterway, and these vessels can have significant impacts on the coastal environment and economy, including oil pollution, marine debris, and wildlife entrapment. They become hazards to navigation, illegal dumping of waste oils and hazardous materials and general public health hazards. Pollution response, including removal and disposal of these vessels can be complex and costly. As a result, many abandoned vessels are left in place unless they are obstructing or threatening to obstruct navigation, or threatening a pollution discharge. Faced with a growing number of abandoned vessels and costly interventions, the National Response Team (NRT) held a session on abandoned vessels during the 2011 Co-Chairs meeting in Dallas, TX. Representatives from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the United States Coast Guard (USCG) gave presentations about the scope of the problem and the need for national guidance for Federal On-Scene Coordinators (FOSCs). Based on issues presented and discussed during the session, the NRT Executive Secretariat agreed an interagency best practices document was needed. An Abandoned Vessel Response Workgroup was established, co-chaired by the USCG and NOAA, and was tasked with identifying: 1) best practices used for responding to abandoned vessels; 2) the regulatory and policy authority of each agency with a nexus to abandoned vessels; and 3) the roles and responsibilities of each agency pursuant to those authorities. This paper summarizes the report on authorities and best practices.

REMOVAL OF GROUNDED, DERELICT OR ABANDONED VESSELS AS SITE RESTORATION1

ABSTRACT Many agencies and organizations in the United States are implementing habitat restoration using a wide array of methods across a variety of habitats. These efforts are often motivated by legislative actions like the Oil Pollution Act, Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, and the Clean Water Act but may also be implemented to meet the mission statements of particular agencies and organizations. While the goals and objectives of restoration efforts vary greatly and the range of potential restoration alternatives is large, these activities fall into three general categories; direct restoration, prevention and public education. The removal of derelict, abandoned and grounded vessels is a tool that can be used as an effective part of many habitat restoration projects. Removals, on their own or in conjunction with other actions, clearly can be used as part of direct restoration. Additionally, in almost every case a removal will also reduce or prevent the threat of future harm to natural, public, or private resources as well as public safety. The four case studies presented highlight the benefits of removal and hazards of failing to act. The Seagull (Guam) demonstrates how effective cooperation can successfully salvage a valuable vessel while protecting natural resources. The M/V Kimton (Puerto Rico) demonstrates that simply removing oil from a grounded vessel is not necessarily the best alternative. The F/V Mwaalil Saat (Saipan) is an example of what can happen if a vessel is identified as a threat but is not removed and the Tesoro Net Removal Project (Kauai, HI) is a valuable example of how the removal of debris unrelated to the primary incident can be a preferred restoration alternative.

NOAA'S ABANDONED VESSEL PROGRAM AND RESOURCES AND UNDER SEA THREATS PROJECT – PARTNERSHIPS AND PROGRESS FOR ABANDONED VESSEL MANAGEMENT1

ABSTRACT Recent incidents within our National Marine Sanctuaries and throughout our country have directed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to begin to look proactively at catastrophic oil and other chemical releases from submerged and abandoned sources. Integrating data from several federal, state, and private sources, the Abandoned Vessel Program (AVP) and Resources and UnderSea Threats (RUST) database worked hand in hand to develop a joint inventory of submerged and abandoned vessels to determine through analysis the scope of this potential threat.

Abandoned Vessels: Impacts to Coral Reefs, Seagrass, and Mangroves in the U.S. Caribbean and Pacific Territories with Implications for Removal

The NOAA Abandoned Vessel Program (AVP) surveyed a subset of known abandoned/derelict vessels in sensitive habitats in 2002/2003 in U.S. territories in the Caribbean and Pacific. Vessels were surveyed to determine current and potential impacts to benthic environments, particularly coral reef, seagrass, and mangrove habitats, and for potential navigational, pollution, and public safety hazards. In all, 180 vessels were surveyed, and the range of potential environmental implications varied. The majority of vessels surveyed in reef habitats were aground on hardbottom with low relief and low percent coral cover, and therefore were not considered to be producing substantial environmental impacts. The few vessels that were aground on or near higher quality habitat and/or had extensive debris fields were of very high concern to the AVP and local managing agencies. If the potential impact of these vessels is not addressed, further injury to surrounding habitats is likely. Damage to seagrass habitats also varied widely, but those vessels causing active erosion to seagrass beds, particularly when moved during storms, should also be considered a priority for removal. Damage to mangroves were typically less substantial than to coral reefs and seagrass, but the cumulative impacts of clustered vessels that have grounded during storms in sheltered, mangrove-lined habitats should be addressed.

Developing a Database to Support and Prioritize the Removal of Abandoned Vessels Impacting Coral Resources1

ABSTRACT Derelict and abandoned vessels pose significant threats to coral ecosystems by releasing pollutants, physically destroying habitat, and causing algal blooms through iron deposition. Each of these threats has been anecdotally documented in the recent academic literature and popular press, but the scale and scope of the problem is poorly understood because of reporting inconsistencies at the local level and the lack of data collection and analysis at the national level. NOAA's Damage Assessment Center is attempting to address these issues by creating a comprehensive database of abandoned vessels threatening coral reef ecosystems. While the program has assembled data for vessels across the entire United States and its territories, it is also distributing the data to agencies across the country on CD and through its website. Additionally, the website contains a tool for collecting data from those who log on who have information about vessels both recorded and new to the database.

Practical Considerations in the Recovery of Oil from Sunken and Abandoned Vessels

ABSTRACT The world has a legacy from its maritime history; sunken vessels from wars, casualties from accidents and storms and abandoned vessels from former marine operations. All have the potential to be environmental “time bombs” if left to their own devices. In recent years there have been a number of operations to investigate and potentially salvage these wrecks, some of which are in increasingly poor condition and beginning to show signs of structural failure. Operations such as the Blucher in Norway, Royal Oak in Scapa Flow, UK, and the Erika in the Bay of Biscay have all presented technological and environmental challenges to salvors. This paper will investigate one such operation that has presented a unique set of challenges, namely the recovery of the fuel oil from a collection of whale catchers abandoned in Grytviken harbour in the South Atlantic. The extreme remoteness of the location has meant that the operation can only be carried out after a number of detailed surveys. The logistics issues of transporting the personnel and the equipment to the island were a major consideration in the planning of the operation. All potential scenarios had to be considered in advance and contingencies put in place since additional or replacement equipment would not be readily available either at a nearby location or within a reasonable timescale. The issues of safety of personnel, access to the vessels and the handling of equipment on to the vessels all had to be addressed. The removal of the oil, its subsequent temporary storage and its ultimate disposal will all be covered in the paper. The whole operation is set against the backdrop of one of the worlds’ wilderness areas which is in the process of being rejuvenated after the ravages of both natural events and manmade activities.

CLEANUP OF THE ABANDONED BUNKER BARGES1

ABSTRACT An estimated 1300 abandoned vessels are decaying on U.S. waterways. An unknown number of these vessels contain oil or hazardous substances and pose a substantial threat of discharge into the environment. Historically, the Coast Guard has responded to environmentally harmful oil and hazardous material spills from abandoned vessels after they occur, sometimes spending millions of unrecoverable dollars in cleanup and disposal costs. The Federal Water Pollution Control Act as amended gives the Coast Guard jurisdiction to mitigate a “substantial threat of discharge” of oil or hazardous substances into the water. Responding to a substantial threat of discharge prevents environmental damage, reduces the number of medium or major spills, and costs substantially less than large shoreline or open water cleanups. Recently, Coast Guard Marine Safety Office (MSO) Hampton Roads initiated the first federal removal action in response to a substantial threat posed by abandoned barges; the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund was used to remove 691,000 gallons of oily waste and to clean and render gas-free the abandoned tank barges Bunker Delaware, Bunker 1000, and VTL-1.