Dangerous derelicts

Posted: Tuesday, January 24, 2006

YOU DON'T see rusted hulks of abandoned cars sitting idly on the sides of public roads. That's because police will tow them, and often will fine the owners.

That's as it should be - old cars are not only eyesores, they also can be safety hazards. Motorists have been killed or injured after striking rust buckets left in emergency lanes.

The same principle applies to old boats that have been left partly submerged in Georgia's waterways..

Unfortunately, sunken vessels have fallen through the state's legislative cracks. There's no law to compel boat owners or state agencies to remove derelicts. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Coast Guard will tow boats that are blocking channels, which the feds oversee, but only to shallower waters. The state Environmental Protection Division will get involved only if a vessel is leaking toxic material, such as fuel, and then only to clean up and remove the offensive stuff; the boat stays put.

Nobody wants the Coastal Empire's waterways to resemble the Sargasso Sea, the mythical graveyard of ships. Nor should the vessels be allowed to sit and rot. Pieces could break off and float away, making channels hazardous to navigate.

A burned-out, 40-foot shrimp trawler, the Treasure D., has been sitting in a shallow stretch of Wilmington River for several months. It's not just ugly. It interferes with boat traffic. At night, it's an accident waiting to happen.

And it shouldn't sit there forever.

The state must hold owners responsible for the property they abandon. Littering a highway with fast-food wrappers can engender a hefty fine. Why should someone be allowed to dump a boat in a river with impunity?

It shouldn't be difficult to identify the owners of a derelict vessel and require them to remove it.

If they can't afford to have the hulk towed or dismantled, then Georgia lawmakers, led by State Sen. Eric Johnson, R-Savannah, and State Rep. Burke Day, R-Tybee Island, can help with a fix in Atlanta.

