NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – The Napa Sheriff’s Office has been awarded two grants by the California Department of Boating and Waterways for the cleanup of local waterways, primarily Lake Berryessa and the Napa River.
Altogether, the agency will receive $90,100, all of which will be used to cover costs related to the
actual cleanup. Those funds will not be used to reimburse the sheriff’s office's associated costs, according to Capt. Doug Pike.
Pike said that the Napa County Sheriff’s Office applied for the grants earlier in the year because officials believed it was the right thing to do for the environment and community safety.
The grants are referred to as the Abandoned Watercraft Abatement Fund, or AWAF, and the Vessel Turn in Program, or VTIP, according to Pike.
The Napa Sheriff’s Office Marine Patrol will administer the AWAF and VTIP grant funds, which Pike said are expected to be available for use beginning this year.
One of the primary goals of the AWAF grant is to clean up debris, such as sunken boats, docks, hazardous materials, and other large debris that create both navigational hazards for boaters and environmental concerns for waterways and surrounding watersheds, Pike said.
Pike said the VTIP grant is geared toward the removal and destruction of old boats that are no longer in use or that have been abandoned and create an environmental hazard due to issues such as leaking fuels, oils and hazardous materials into the ground or waterways.
Boats removed under this program do not need to be in the water as this also applies to boats abandoned in yards for long periods of time, Pike said.
The VTIP program, Pike said, also provides a means for community members to turn in boats they no longer use and which are cost prohibitive to dispose of on their own.
Citizens will be able to contact the sheriff’s office about vessels they wish to have destroyed and then grant funds can be used to remove their boat at no cost to the community member, Pike said. Funds are limited so discretion will be utilized to prioritize the removals.
If the program is successful, Pike said the Napa County Sheriff’s Office will consider pursuing the grant in future years to maximize environmental impact.
The cleanup of significant environmental hazards will be addressed and removed through licensed salvage contractors hired through grant funds. Pike said barges and cranes may be brought in by contractors for removal of large hazards.
Pike said all environmental guidelines for safe cleanup will be followed.
REGIONAL: Grants to aid cleanup of Lake Berryessa, Napa River
- Lake County News reports
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