Excerpt from
U.S. Coast Guard Proceedings
of the Marine Safety & Security Council magazine by LCDR Charles Bright,
U.S. Coast Guard Office of Marine Transportation Systems.
The Problem
Vessels are abandoned or
become derelict for many reasons. Unfortunately, these vessels can number in
the hundreds in some locations, such as states with large boating publics like
Florida, Georgia, and Washington. In some of these locations, vessels have been
abandoned for such a long time that no one can remember how they got there or
who the owners are.
Who Has the Lead?
If the owner cannot be found
or is unable to remove the vessel, many times removal will fall to the federal
or state government. Along with state environmental and enforcement agencies,
four federal agencies play a role in abandoned and derelict vessel removal:
- the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
- the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
- the U.S. Coast Guard,
- the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Even with the multitude of
authorities, limited funding and resources can pose a problem.
Best Practices
In September 2009, the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration hosted the first Federal
Abandoned and Derelict Vessel Workshop, where the four federal agencies presented
their processes for dealing with vessels to the state agencies.
In addition, several state
program managers presented best practices for dealing with the numerous vessels
within their states.
Coordinating Efforts
Understanding all the
authorities and jurisdictions is just the beginning when it comes to dealing
with the problem of abandoned and derelict vessels. With the multitude of state
and local programs and federal authorities, coordinating this process can be
daunting. Federal and state agencies and local or private groups should come
together prior to any incident to establish working relationships.
Knowing where one agency’s
authority and funding stops and another begins facilitates this process.
Planning the process from beginning to end is also key to avoiding roadblocks
and other unwanted situations. No one wants a vessel removed only to find out
there is no place to put it. It may also be that one agency asserts itself in
the operational review and approval process because the vessel might be
considered a historical landmark. These types of situations do happen and can
best be avoided through a fully coordinated plan.
Full article is available at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/spring2011/.
Subscribe online at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/subscribe.asp.
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