AUSTIN — The Texas General Land Office (GLO) Oil Spill team began significant efforts to remove derelict vessels along our state's coast.

Passed by the 86th Legislature in 2019, Senate Bill 500 allocated $2 million to the GLO Oil Spill Prevention and Response Program to remove vessels located within counties receiving a Disaster Declaration as a result of Hurricane Harvey. The appropriation is the first funding specifically allocated to the Oil Spill program for derelict vessel removal.

"The Texas General Land Office is committed to preserving our state's coast and environment for generations to come," said Commissioner George P. Bush. "With the funding received through Senate Bill 500, our Oil Spill division can continue to fulfill our commitment to protecting our coastal communities. I look forward to seeing vessels removed and threats diminished as we continue this project."

Background - Texas GLO's Oil Spill Prevention and Response

The oldest state agency in Texas, the GLO was formed to determine who owned what and where after the Texians and Tejanos won independence. Today the General Land Office manages state lands, operates the Alamo, helps Texans recovering from natural disasters, helps fund Texas public education through the Permanent School Fund, provides benefits to Texas Veterans, and manages the vast Texas coast. With hundreds of millions of barrels of crude oil and petroleum products passing through ports, bays and beaches along the Texas Gulf annually, the Texas General Land Office Oil Spill Prevention and Response team is on call 24/7, ensuring oil stays out of Texas coastal waters.