§426m Collection and Removal of Drift and Debris From Publicly Maintained Commercial Boat Harbors and Adjacent Land and Water Areas

Summary

Requires the Secretary of the Army, through the Chief of Engineers, to plan and carry out projects that remove floating and sunken hazards from publicly maintained commercial boat harbors and the land and water right next to them. The Army Corps can start projects costing less than $400,000 without special approval from Congress. The federal government pays two-thirds of each project; the state, city, or local sponsor pays the rest unless the debris is on federal land, in which case the federal government pays all. Local sponsors must provide land, access, and disposal areas, keep the projects maintained, protect the United States from damage claims tied to their work, and control the area so it does not become a new source of debris. They must also try to recover full cleanup costs from identified owners of piers or other sources, or fix those sources. The Chief of Engineers will give technical advice. Drift: floating material that can damage boats. Debris: abandoned or falling structures, sunken vessels, or objects likely to break up and become drift. Money can be appropriated as needed for fiscal years starting after September 30, 1986.