The Texas General Land Office’s (GLO) Oil Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR) team wrapped up its spring Vessel Turn-In Program (VTIP) which was held May 18-20. During the event, the GLO, Calhoun County and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department together collected 10 vessels measuring over 197 linear feet.
A derelict vessel is turned at the Calhoun County VTIP held last week
Removing abandoned vessels from coastal waters comes at a considerable expense—around $200-300 per foot. The GLO and its partners encourage communities to participate in VTIPs to avoid these steep costs and to keep their boats from becoming environmental or safety hazards. The VTIP was established under Commissioner George P. Bush in 2015 and has since hosted 28 events in various coastal communities—in total, 1,135 derelict and inoperable boats measuring 18,934 linear feet have been removed from coastal areas through these essential programs.
Abandoned vessels can leak fluids into coastal waters that can be harmful for the wetland environment, wildlife, and humans—and even the smallest oil spill can endanger Texas' precious natural resources. VTIPs are a proactive and collaborative effort that helps ensure a healthy coast before these vessels become a hazard.
To date, the GLO has helped remove over 1,100 vessels along the Texas Coast.
The GLO’s OSPR staff works with industry partners in the energy and commercial fishing sectors, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the public to support educational opportunities, daily water and shore patrols and firehouse-ready response teams, with the goal of preventing and immediately addressing environmental problems.
With hundreds of millions of barrels of crude oil and petroleum products passing through ports, bays, and beaches along the Texas Gulf annually, the OSPR team is on call 24/7, ensuring oil stays out of Texas coastal waters.
The next VTIP event in the Cameron County area is scheduled for October. The event will include multiple local partnerships and two drop off locations. Details will be released in the coming months.