§414 Vessel removal by Corps of Engineers

Summary

The Secretary of the Army can break up, remove, sell, or otherwise get rid of any sunken or abandoned boat, raft, or similar thing that blocks or threatens navigation in U.S. waters if it has been there more than 30 days (or sooner if it can be shown to be legally abandoned). The Secretary may give at least 30 days’ public notice in the nearest local newspaper and may ask for sealed bids with at least 10 days’ notice to hire someone to remove it. A contractor may become the owner of the wreck and its cargo as part of the contract, and any money from selling wrecks or from contractors goes into the U.S. Treasury. If removal costs are more than the sale proceeds, the boat’s owner, lessee, or operator must pay the extra cost, and that money goes into the Treasury’s general fund. The Secretary may also remove a “covered vessel” even if it does not block navigation when the removal is in the public interest (after talking with the State or Tribal government) and the Coast Guard Commandant finds the vessel abandoned if it is not already under U.S. control. The Secretary can make agreements with other federal agencies and accept their funds for removal. The vessel’s owner is liable for removal costs. “Covered vessel” means either a vessel the Coast Guard Commandant has declared abandoned or one the United States controls because it was seized or forfeited. It does not include vessels already handled under the other removal rules, abandoned barges covered by other law, or vessels with no identified owner unless the Coast Guard declares them abandoned or the owner refuses to pay. Up to $10,000,000 is authorized each year for fiscal years 2025 through 2029 to carry out these rules.