Did you know that derelict boats and structures contribute to water toxicity? Drifting, beached, broken-up or sunken vessels are filled with toxic chemicals, including oil, diesel, contaminated water, flammable liquids, antifreeze, toxic cleaning supplies, batteries, paint and varnish.
Read the full story below, written by Defenders of Wildlife's Northwest Representative Kathleen Callaghy.
Photo courtesy Washington State Department of Natural Resources.
Did you know that derelict boats and structures contribute to water toxicity? Drifting, beached, broken-up or sunken vessels are filled with toxic chemicals, including oil, diesel, contaminated water, flammable liquids, antifreeze, toxic cleaning supplies, batteries, paint and varnish. The same is true of dock or pier pilings, which are often coated in wood preservatives such as creosote. These substances leach into the water over time, building up in aquatic organisms that digest or absorb them - filtering all the way up the food chain to salmon and orca.
The good news is that Washington’s Department of Natural Resources (@[DNR acct]) works to remove vessels that have become abandoned or derelict to keep pollution out of marine habitats through their Derelict Vessel Removal Program (DVRP). The Vessel Turn-in Program also offers boat owners with insufficient funds an opportunity to apply for assistance in legally disposing of their vessels!
Learn more about the Derelict Vessel Removal Program:
https://defenders.org/publications/buoying-washington-states-response-abandoned-and-derelict-vessels
Learn more about creosote: