Abandoned and derelict boats have been a chronic problem along South Carolina’s coast, and we’ve seen our share of it here in Beaufort County. Now, DHEC, the Department of Health and Environmental Control, is stepping in with a new pilot program to get rid of them.
DHEC is piloting a new Vessel Turn-In Program this summer for eight coastal counties. They include Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Georgetown, Horry and Jasper.
“The Vessel Turn-In Program is an excellent opportunity for the residents of South Carolina’s coastal counties to dispose of their unwanted or aging vessels, which will help protect our valuable coastal resources,” Marian Page, the interim bureau chief of DHEC’s Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, told WCSC.
“Abandoned boats threaten sensitive habitat, impact the safe recreational use of our waterways and detract from our state’s beautiful coastal landscape.”
It’s Completely Free
Through the program, people and businesses can apply to have unwanted, at-risk, or end-of-life vessels disposed of before they become abandoned.
Once an application is approved, DHEC will reach out to set up disposal at at no cost to the applicant.
The vessels will be dismantled and separated into different material types, and where possible, the materials will be disposed of sustainably.
As part of this project, DHEC is recycling them, too. DHEC is piloting an innovative fiberglass vessel hull recycling program. In the program, the shredded fiberglass from VTIP vessels will be used as an alternative fuel at a local cement kiln.
“These two pilot programs aim to protect natural resources and divert waste from landfills in our coastal communities,” Page told WCSC.
The pilot programs are being funded through a Coastal Zone Enhancement grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Anyone with questions about the VTIP project can learn more at scdhec.gov/ADV or email chriscj@dhec.sc.gov.
The first vessel drop-off day will take place in the Charleston County area in June 2024. Interested applicants from any of the state’s eight coastal counties are encouraged to apply online by April 5, 2024.
