L.A. County approves agreement for vessel removal and disposal

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved an agreement, Dec. 3, to allow the Sheriff’s Department to remove and dispose of vessels from county waterways on an as-needed basis. The agreement is with the department’s Marina del Rey station for a five-year term.

“Each year, approximately 30 vessels generally in a poor state of repair and seaworthiness are abandoned by the owners,” county staff said in a report to the Board of Supervisors. “The size of the vessels varies; however, most of the removed vessels are 20-30 feet long. The department is charged with responsibly removing and disposing of the vessels under the California Harbors and Navigation Code Sections 510 through 527, and under Los Angeles County Code Section 19.12.1070, due to such vessels potentially creating a health and safety hazard.”

County staff said the Marina del Rey Sheriff’s Station “is in the process of accepting and executing a grant award from the Fiscal Year … 2019-20 DBW SAVE Program.”

“This will be the thirteenth year MDR Station has received grant funds,” county staff stated in their report to supervisors. “The grant award will subvent MDR Station’s cost to eliminate abandoned and submerged vessels from county waterways, and to assist registered owners of recreational vessels who desire to surrender a vessel through the SAVE Program.”

County staff added the grant funding would not be used to remove, store or dispose of vessels where the most recent documentation or registration is commercial.