CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) – The Department of Health and Environmental Control is launching a new project to keep at-risk boats from accessing our shores.
The Ship Delivery Program provides opportunities for people and businesses that own boats in South Carolina's eight coastal counties: Charleston, Berkeley, Dorchester, Beaufort, Colleton, Georgetown, Hawley and Jasper.
The goal is to prevent abandoned boats from entering coastal waterways where they can pose environmental and safety hazards.
“They can block waterways and pose navigational hazards, and when embedded in marshes and oyster reefs, cause significant damage to those critical coastal environments,” DHEC's Office of Marine and Coastal Resources Management's Coastal Service said project manager Julia Crisco.
This program only covers boats on land and does not cover sunken boats or boats stuck in swamps as they cannot be transported.
In the summer of 2024, DHEC's Office of Marine and Coastal Resources Management plans to disassemble the boats it receives and recycle as many parts as possible to avoid waste in local landfills.
This program is funded by a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
“These vessels can actually be abandoned after being derelict due to maintenance and repair costs, so the surrender program allows someone to dispose of the vessel at no cost,” NOAA Marine said Caroline Morris, Litter Program Southeast Regional Coordinator. “This will remove harmful substances from the most sensitive ecosystems and also reduce the financial burden on owners of unwanted and aging vessels.”
It costs you nothing, but the agency believes this is a win-win situation. DHEC said abandoned and derelict vessels are a serious problem and they are here to help.
“Removal of a vessel from the water is very expensive, especially if it's sunken or embedded, and can cost thousands of dollars. So we're committed to providing resources to help people get boats. And we're really trying to stop that,” Crisco said. He said.
If you are interested in applying to the program, click here to apply. DHEC encourages applications to be submitted by April 5th.
The first vessel drop-off date is expected to arrive in Charleston County sometime in June.
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