About the Program
South Carolina Abandoned Vessel Project
For the past three years (beginning in 2003), the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control's Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (DHEC-OCRM) has received funding from Congress, through NOAA, to address abandoned vessels and impediments to navigation in their coastal waters. This effort has led to the formation of the South Carolina Abandoned Vessel Project.
An interagency group was formed by DHEC-OCRM, including the U.S. Coast Guard, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to identify the best ways to address abandoned vessels and navigation hazards, and determine which objects would be removed.
So far, the work has focused on Charleston, Beaufort, Jasper and Colleton counties, including an inventory of vessels and hazards and contracts with salvors to remove selected items. Additionally, an outreach campaign has been launched to raise awareness of the dangers and problems of abandoned vessels and other hazards, and the work of this project.
In 2006, DHEC-OCRM will pursue partnerships with local South Carolina governments to remove marine debris and educate the wider public on the hazards of marine debris.
This project is funded through NOAA's Ocean Service, Office of Response and Restoration.
