Most of us learn at a young age to clean up after ourselves. But when we become adults, the big messes sometimes call for work from dedicated individuals and government assistance.
Such is the case with abandoned and submerged boats along Lake River, which runs between the Columbia River and Vancouver Lake, past the city of Ridgefield. As detailed in a recent article from Columbian reporter Scott Hewitt, five vessels have been removed from the river this year, and 10 more are expected to be removed by the end of 2024.
“They can be a hazard to navigation. They can be floating around loose, or they can be sunken where they can cause injury to people or damage to other boats,” said Randy Mueller, Port of Ridgefield CEO. “Often, there’s also a lot of garbage, fuel, Styrofoam in the water. There are environmental concerns.”
That speaks to the importance of removing derelict vessels. But the interesting part of this story is the genesis of the project.
As a 13-year-old kayaker, Christian Stiever of Ridgefield noticed the large number of abandoned boats in the area, some floating aimlessly and some submerged. That eventually turned into an Eagle Scout project to map the vessels with help from local anglers, wildlife advocates, dragon boaters and Scouts.
From there, Stiever reached out to the state Department of Natural Resources, which operates a Derelict Vessel Removal Program, and connected the department with the Port of Ridgefield.
Mueller said: “It all started when Christian approached us. He saw that garbage in the river and decided he’d like to clean it up as his Eagle Scout project. … A lot of these boats have been on the river for a few years. There was a surge of derelict boats on the river during COVID and post-COVID.”
Which brings us to the state Derelict Vessel Removal Program. According to the DNR, the program has led to the removal of more than 1,200 vessels since it was implemented in 2002. For the two-year budget that started in mid-2023, the program has $10.3 million — $8.3 million from a Watercraft Excise Tax and $2 million from the Derelict Vessel Removal Account.
In other words, boaters pay most of the freight for those who don’t clean up after themselves.
While the situation can be frustrating and lead to questions about fees and spending, it is a basic and important function of government.
The most prominent example is the federal designation of Superfund sites, established in 1980 and reserved for the nation’s most contaminated locations. A majority of costs typically are paid by polluters; the public portion of the funding initially came from taxes on petroleum and chemical products, but Congress in 1995 declined to renew that funding. In Washington, nearly 50 sites have Superfund status, ranging from small industrial locations to the Hanford Nuclear Reservation.
At the state level, Washington’s Model Toxics Control Act funds and directs the investigation, cleanup and prevention of contaminated sites. It is funded by a tax on the wholesale value of hazardous substances.
Historically, Americans are not very good about cleaning up after themselves. Locally, one example is the riverfront site of a former Boise Cascade plant that — after 12 years of deconstruction and decontamination — is now home to The Waterfront Vancouver development.
Appropriate fees and regulations — along with involved citizens — can help ease the process when the time comes to clean up.
