ABANDONED VESSELS: Harder’s Demands Lead to $2.6 Million to Clean up 50 Delta Ships

STOCKTON – Today, in response to his yearslong fight to clean up the Delta, Rep. Josh Harder (CA-09) announced that $2.6 million has been awarded to the Delta to clean up dangerous and toxic abandoned vessels. Provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Marine Debris Program, this funding will be used to identify and remove 50 abandoned vessels, as well as 80 submerged vehicles from the Delta – a total of more than 2 million pounds of debris.

Abandoned vessels are a plague on the Delta:

• As these boats change hands, they are often left abandoned and eventually sink, spilling fuel and polluting waterways while creating dangerous hazards for boaters.
• Massive ships like the Aurora and the Mazapeta leaked thousands of gallons of hazardous waste into the Delta, costing millions in damages.
• Harder is leading legislation to prevent future large-scale sinkings from happening in the first place.

“Abandoned vessels are ticking time bombs that poison our Delta – we’ve been calling for their removal for years, and I’m grateful to see that Washington is starting to listen,” said Rep. Harder. “But our community deserves more than cleanup, and our Delta shouldn’t be a graveyard for sunken ships. That’s why I’m fighting to pass my bill to prevent them from sinking in the first place and keep our families safe and our waterways pollution-free.”

Harder has been leading the charge against abandoned vessels in the Delta:

• His bill, the Abandoned Vessel Prevention Act, requires sellers of old and converted commercial vessels to have insurance or remain liable for any sinking and cleanup costs.
• Harder led calls for special funding to be approved to destroy and remove the 153-foot Chaleur, which leaked 2,500 gallons of hazardous fuel into the Delta.
• Last year, Harder stood on the deck of the Aurora with local, state, and federal agencies to push for new action to clean up abandoned vessels.

Part of a larger $26 million investment in 13 marine debris removal projects across the country, this $2,633,100 award was provided to the California Department of Parks and Recreation for Delta abandoned vessel cleanup. State partners will work with local sheriff departments and construction and salvage companies to identify and remove the debris. The project will also fund boater education and outreach, as well as the installation of deterrence devices at 15 hotspots for illegal dumping to help prevent future abandoned vessels. The project is expected to be completed in September 2029.

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