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State program to remove abandoned vessels seeks streamlined seizure, shorter storage time and clarity on debris rules
Summary
Department of State Lands supports Senate Bill 795 to clarify definitions, shorten waiting periods and simplify seizure and disposal of abandoned or derelict vessels (ADVs); testimony said the program has used $18.8 million from the Monsanto settlement for removals and that disposal costs can exceed $20,000 per vessel for 30–40-foot boats.
The Department of State Lands and coastal stakeholders urged the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire on Jan. 30 to back changes to the abandoned and derelict vessel (ADV) statutes that they say will let agencies remove hazardous boats more quickly and at lower cost.
Senate Bill 795 would expand agency authority to seize, secure or dispose of derelict vessels, create the offense of abandoning a vessel, clarify how vessel contents are handled, and reduce mandatory storage-and-notice periods before disposal.
Why it matters: DSL and port partners described high removal costs, hazardous materials found in vessels and administrative barriers that slow removals. The department told the committee that the Legislature provided roughly $18,800,000 from the Monsanto settlement in 2023 to start statewide removal work. Port and cleanup partners said the existing seizure, notice and storage requirements sometimes make removals infeasible and costly.
Josh Mulholland, Waterway Stewardship Program Manager, described recent work including a roughly $1.3 million removal of the dredge Herb Anderson from the Columbia River and a multijurisdictional removal of nine sunken boats from the Multnomah Channel. Mulholland stressed toxic contamination risks — "Oil, lead, and PCBs can all be very harmful to our waterways," he said — and said the department wants statutory fixes to reduce redundant notices and waiting periods. (Josh Mulholland, Waterway Stewardship Program Manager, Department of State Lands.)
Project manager Dorothy Deal said the current statutes require storage of seized vessels for at least 30 days after a second notice, with no exception for boats that are effectively "rotted" and unsafe to store. SB 795 would reduce that waiting period to two weeks for certain vessels and clarify that material within a vessel may be handled as part of the vessel removal rather than through a separate process. "Storage of those is expensive...and, like, frankly, it's just undesirable to have to store that," Deal said. (Dorothy Deal, Project Manager, Department of State Lands.)
Ports, recreation and environmental groups supporting the bill described the program’s benefits and fiscal strain. Aaron Bretz, deputy director of the Port of Newport, said disposal costs for 30–40 foot vessels have averaged about $20,000 each and that his port has borne roughly $130,000 in removal-related costs over four years. He urged additional state funding and liability protections for local governments and ports. (Aaron Bretz, Deputy Director, Port of Newport.)
Surfrider Foundation marine scientist Sarah Wolf said volunteers and haulers have pulled marine debris from coasts for years but that high disposal costs and weak enforcement shift the burden to communities; she urged additional enforcement tools so authorized agencies can remove derelict debris and relieve local volunteers and haulers of unsustainable disposal costs. (Sarah Wolf, Surfrider Foundation.)
What changed in the bill: DSL said the proposal clarifies the definition of marine debris to include boats that are no longer capable of transportation on the water due to dilapidation (referencing the proposed change to the ORS marine debris definition on page 2 of the bill), clarifies that vessel contents stay with the vessel for seizure/disposal purposes, and shortens the minimum post-seizure storage and notice time in some cases from 30 days to 14 days.
Procedural note: Committee members asked about documentation and safeguards to ensure an agency correctly classifies a boat as marine debris before disposal. DSL staff said agencies document identifying numbers, take photographs and investigate available owner information before disposing of boats that appear to be unsalvageable.
Looking ahead: Supporters asked the Legislature to continue funding statewide removal efforts and to permit agencies to act more efficiently; DSL said changes would allow more timely removals and reduce costs for ports and local communities.
Sources: Public hearing, Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire, Jan. 30, 2025; testimony of Josh Mulholland, Dorothy Deal, Aaron Bretz, Sarah Wolf, Mark Landauer and others.
