Friday, April 5, 2013, Juneau, Alaska – The Alaska House of Representatives today unanimously passed a bill expanding legal authority to deal with the problem of derelict and abandoned vessels in Alaska waters.

House Bill 131, sponsored by Representative Paul Seaton, would provide state agencies and municipalities with authority in statute to address the “ghost boats.” Current state law puts the primary duty to handle derelict vessels on the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities.

“Dealing with derelict and abandoned vessels is a costly endeavor and a growing problem. Unfortunately, that onus is falling on our municipalities, since the state has made a policy of giving our ports and harbors back to them. They simply don’t have the financial resources or sufficient legal authority in some cases,” Seaton, R-Homer, said. “HB 131 gives municipalities better legal traction to address this problem.”

HB 131 primarily broadens state law to make it a multi-agency approach, changing the definition to a “state agency” to respond, instead of just DOT, like the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Environmental Conservation. The bill also makes changes to law relating to timelines for removal and other sections dealing with storage, entrance, and transport.

HB 131 now moves to the Alaska Senate for consideration.