Operation Clean Bay is certainly living up to its name—and its mission.
Since April of this year, 72 vessels have been removed from Jamaica Bay thanks to the initiative, headed by the National Parks Service in conjunction with a host of state and city agencies.
The program’s goal is to remove derelict boats from the bay, vessels that can pose both navigational and environmental hazards.
Each boat removed from the bay, 25,000-acre bay eliminates the danger of hazardous materials—cleaning fluid, paint stripper, old batteries and oil, for example—from being released in to the water, according to Ralph Mannetta, a ranger in operations for the National Parks Service.
“This has been a huge success,” Mannetta said of the program, launched in concert with the United States Coast Guard, state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), NYPD, city Department of Environmental Protection, and the city’s Department of Small Business Services’ Dockmaster Unit.
From the 72 boats, 28 owners have been tracked down and fined by the DEC, Mannetta said. Fines can reach up to $2,500, he noted.
Operation Clean Bay, headquartered at Floyd Bennett Field by the seaplane ramp, has ventured as far as Sheepshead Bay to track down boats that have been left for Davy Jones’ Locker.
“We continue to monitor the area, and it is working out very well,” Mannetta.
Still, he said, there is more work to be done. “There are many still out there,” Mannetta said.
The battered economy seems to have taken its toll on local boat owners.
“They can’t pay for the fuel, or the repairs, or to put it in storage,” Mannetta said. “I think its been this way for a while, but it is just getting worse.”
Owners who want to be responsible—and avoid costly fines—should contact the Floyd Bennett Field Task Force, and members will come down to ensure the boat is disposed of properly. Legal removal can cost $300 and up, depending on the size of the boat.
To properly dispose of your boat, call the taskforce at 718-338-5180.
Dumping a boat is a violation of city, state and federal laws.
To report illegal boat dumping, call 718-338-3718.
