US. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and Representative Derek Kilmer (D-WA) led a bipartisan letter with a number of their colleagues calling for a formal study on the impact of derelict vessels to waterways and coastal communities. In a letter sent to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) led by Senator Cantwell, Representative Kilmer and Senator Wicker, the members urged the agency to conduct a review of how the U.S. is working to stop the threat derelict vessels pose to economies and the environment. Specifically, the Members called for a review of how the United States Coast Guard, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) address abandoned and derelict vessels. The U.S. currently lacks the information required to identify, track, and respond to derelict vessels. Early notification of abandoned vessels is key to protecting our nation’s waterways and preventing disasters that impact businesses, wildlife, and people who recreate and live in communities close to our lakes, rivers, and oceans. In the letter, the Senators and Members of Congress wrote: “Abandoned and derelict vessels pose a direct threat to both the safety of maritime navigation and natural resources. Derelict vessels block waterways impacting marine transportation and ...
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