NYC Park Commissioner Sue Donoghue delivers remarks at the opening of the Office of Marine Debris Disposal and Vessel Surrendering on the Brooklyn side of Jamaica Bay.
Photo courtesy of NYC Parks/ Daniel Avila
NYC Parks recently began removing abandoned boats from the waters off City Island in the Bronx under the auspices of its new Office of Marine Debris Removal and Vessel Surrendering, which opened in Brooklyn on Apr. 15.
The new headquarters is at Kingsborough Community College in Manhattan Beach, across Jamaica Bay in the Rockaways. This location was chosen following legislation spearheaded by Council Member Joann Ariola, who, after discussions with local community leaders, recognized their longstanding frustrations with bureaucratic obstacles in removing derelict vessels from the bay.
“In the past, the process to remove marine debris from our waterways was often overly complicated and mired in red tape,” Ariola said. With the creation of the Office of Marine Disposal and Vessel Surrendering, we are streamlining this process while also giving boat owners an economical and environmentally friendly alternative to abandonment. This will go a long way towards cleaning our shorelines and will improve New York City’s waterways for generations to come.”
At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Ariola watched as NYC Parks officials destroyed a boat that had been abandoned in Jamaica Bay since Hurricane Sandy struck over a decade ago. She highlighted the environmental hazards posed by such derelict vessels, noting their potential to leak oil and fuels and how their fiberglass hulls release large amounts of microplastics into the water.
Council Member Selvena Brooks-Powers, representing the eastern end of the Rockaways, expressed her ongoing commitment to addressing these issues. She emphasized her support for innovative measures like NYC Local Law 46 of 2023, which led to the recent establishment of the Office of Marine Debris Disposal and…
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