Marine Debris Program Participates in Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force Meeting on Abandoned and Derelict Vessels
JUNE 29, 2018 — On June 19, the Marine Debris Program (MDP) presented at the annual meeting of the Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force. This meeting was dedicated to the big and complex problem of abandoned and derelict vessels (ADVs).
Held at the Portland, Oregon Convention Center in conjunction with the Clean Pacific Conference, the meeting was attended by over 150 people, including staff from the Office of Response & Restoration (OR&R). A panel format covered a variety of topics, including case studies, comparison of ADV programs in the United States and Canada, Pacific States’ ADV programs, and ADV prevention.
The MDP’s Regional Coordinator, Nir Barnea, participated in the prevention panel, and described the outreach and education efforts undertaken and supported by the MDP and OR&R. These efforts include the ADV InfoHub and Fact Sheet, the use of the Environmental Response Management Application to display ADVs in San Francisco Bay, and the efforts by our dedicated partners, such as South Carolina’s My Coast program, to engage the general public in ADV reporting.
For more information, please contact Nir.Barnea@noaa.gov.