AOC helps secure federal funding to remove abandoned vessels from NYC waterways
U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez joined Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura on the shores of Flushing Bay in College Point on Wednesday, July 29, to announce over $2 million in federal funding to remove abandoned vessels from the South Bronx, northern Queens and Brooklyn.
The $2.3 million grant, made available by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Marine Debris Program with the support of Ocasio-Cortez, will support the removal of 1 million pounds of abandoned vessels and marine debris across the city.
The NYC Parks Office of Marine Debris Disposal and Vessel Surrendering, a first-in-the-state office formed in April 2024 with the support of Council Members Joann Ariola and Selvena Brooks-Powers, has already removed over 500 tons of abandoned vessels and debris since its formation.
The federal funding will also facilitate a new vessel turn-in program, allowing boat owners to surrender their vessels to the city before they become derelict, making them much easie…