California
Maritime Administration ahead of schedule in scrapping Suisun Bay mothball fleet
October 12, 2012
www.contracostatimes.com
Aged and crumbling ships may be leaving the Suisun Bay "mothball" Reserve Fleet at a steady pace, but some of their value is being left behind. Vallejo's California Maritime Academy, one of six state maritime schools nationwide, soon will see a nearly $400,000 funding influx, proceeds from the sale of the obsolete vessels. The new funding, $2.2 million overall, is due to a federal mandate requiring federal reinvestment into maritime schools
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here.
Artificial Reef Project Moves Forward Despite Controversy
July 26, 2012
www.independent.com
Roughly five weeks ago, with the hope of jump-starting a plan to install a fish — and fishermen — friendly artificial reef offshore of Santa Barbara, Chris Goldblatt and some colleagues dropped two 1,300-pound hollow concrete igloos into the ocean offshore of Hendry’s Beach.
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here.
Non-Profit Builds "Reef Balls" to Create More Sea Life
June 18, 2012
www.keyt.com
The non-profit group, Fish Reef Project is building large cement balls to use as artificial reefs. The balls are designed to sit on the sea floor and collectively act as a reef. The group hopes the reefs will attract sea life, including fish and crabs.
Read the full article
here.
San Onofre artificial reef not meeting state standards
April 10, 2012
www.ocregister.com
For the third year in a row, a 156-acre artificial reef built in 2008 to help offset environmental impacts on marine life from San Onofre's undersea intake pipes is not meeting state performance standards.
Read the full article
here.
EPA Guide On PCB Ship Waste May Not Quell Concerns On MARAD Policy
March 16, 2012
harteresearchinstitute.org
EPA is crafting guidance to advise ship owners on how to comply with its rules governing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) before exporting ships for scrapping but the guide may not quell concerns that a 2011 Maritime Administration (MARAD) policy allowing owners to self-certify removal of PCBs circumvents EPA's toxics law authority.
Read the full article
here.
Can Hollywood Save the Oceans Natural Reef Systems?
March 12, 2012
tech.rambergmedia.com
That’s the question a group of Los Angeles film set designers, divers, and marine biologists asked prior to creating a revolutionary underwater tourism company – Reef Worlds.
Read the full article
here.
Horizon Charters San Diego Wins Defense Verdict in Lawsuit
February 21, 2012
www.divenewswire.com
Southern California charter company,
Horizon Charters and its dive master Martin Graf have successfully defended a scuba diving death lawsuit in San Diego.
Read the full article
here.
Artificial reef planned for Ventura County beach
June 7, 2011
www.vcstar.com
Officials are hoping to build an artificial reef to bring back the glory days at Oil Pier beach and potentially use it as a showcase of how to restore and save beaches around the county.
Read the full article
here.
Dredging of Mare Island Strait needed by ship dismantler nearly complete
Dec 14, 2010
www.contracostatimes.com
The amount of built-up mud and silt recently pulled from in front of Mare Island's dry docks 2 and 3 could fill Vallejo's Corbus Field up about 112 feet high -- which would top an 11-story building.
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here.
"Rigs to Reefs" Lets Fish Stay After the Oil Stops Pumping
July 18, 2010
www.heatingoil.com
"The first thing anyone - trained scientist or casual recreational diver - notices around a rig is the big fish, lots of them," says Dr. Milton Love, a scientist at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Love has spent 10 years studying the thriving marine life that turns offshore oil platforms into artificial reefs.
Read the full article
here.
What to Do After an Oil Rig Dies: California's Quandary
July 8, 2010
www.time.com
What happens after an oil rig dies? Even as the Deepwater Horizon disaster continues unresolved in the Gulf of Mexico, California and other states are debating what to do when the intended work of the gigantic platforms is over.
Read the full article
here.
Two more ships to leave fleet, making 7 in 8 months
May 4, 2010
beniciaherald.wordpress.com
Two more old warships are leaving the Reserve Fleet at Suisun Bay, with one troop transport ship already on its way to Texas to be recycled and a second scheduled to leave Wednesday morning for San Francisco for cleaning before leaving California.
Read the full article
here.
Judge rules Bay Area 'ghost fleet' violates pollution laws
January 21, 2010
www.mercurynews.com
SACRAMENTO — A federal judge has found that a fleet of rotting warships anchored near San Francisco Bay is in violation of federal and state pollution laws.
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here.
Three more ships from Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet approved for dismantling
January 6, 2010
www.timesheraldonline.com
As a ship recycling company eyeing Vallejo continues to wade through red tape on environmental regulations, three more World War II era-ships have been targeted for dismantling in Texas.
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here.
Battle lines drawn around La Jolla marine life protection
October 7, 2009
www.sdnn.com
A San Diego City Council committee declined today to act on an environmental group’s request to endorse the most stringent of three proposals.
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here.
No one is buying decommissioned U.S. ships due to poor economy
October 2, 2009
www.mesotheliomanews.com
Decommissioned merchant ships being stored at the Reserve Fleet in Newport News, Virginia have no buyers.
Read the full article
here.
Calif. river restoration begins amid debate
October 2, 2009
www.google.com
When Darrell Imperatrice was a boy, California's San Joaquin River teemed with so many King salmon his father could catch 40-pound fish using only a pitchfork.
Read the full article
here.
San Francisco Bay Restoration Is Moving Forward
September, 2009
www.coastalpost.com
Restoration of the wild-lands in the San Francisco Bay Area, and the
rest of the country for that matter, is kicking into a higher gear as
most Americans are starting to do their "litter bit".
Read the full article
here.
Partnership for Sustainable Oceans asks Governor to suspend MLPA
designation process citing lack of funding and scientific data
June 24, 2009
www.aquafornia.com
The Partnership for Sustainable Oceans, the organization that represents
recreational fishing and boating interests, has asked Governor
Schwarzenegger to suspend the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) planning and
implementation process citing a lack of financial and scientific resources
to support the designation of marine protected areas (MPAs).
Read the full article
here.
California: Harbinger of National Doom?
June 23, 2009
www.thetrumpet.com
If you were given the perfect country, could you mess it up as bad as
California? Begin with fertile, productive, well-irrigated soils capable of
growing just about anything. Add vast agricultural tracts and miles upon
miles of wine country with lush, bountiful vineyards.
Read the full article
here.
Monterey Bay Aquarium supports sustainable seafood choices to
preserve fish populations
June 17, 2009
www.insidebayarea.com
While shopping at the seafood department or reading a menu, consult these
resources: "Seafood Watch," the Monterey Bay Aquarium's lists of responsibly
harvested and farmed seafood and sushi or the Blue Ocean Institute's "Guide
to Ocean Friendly Seafood." Also look for the blue label from the Marine
Stewardship Council, a leading certification program for sustainable
seafood.
Read the full article
here.
The Green Line of Defense
June 16, 2009
www.emagazine.com
Since 1972, the Coast Guard has been responsible for a range of
environmental prevention and response activities. Those include managing the
billion-dollar Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund used for emergency cleanups
and the investigation of illegal dumping of oily waste at sea. Still, since
the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, much of the Coast Guard’s expanded
operations and funding have focused on port security and counter-terrorism.
Read the full article
here.
The Marine Mammal Center's Newly Rebuilt Hospital
June 15, 2009
www.prweb.com
Sausalito, Calif. (PRWEB) June 15, 2009 -- With its unprecedented makeover
now complete, The Marine Mammal Center has officially opened for the public
to view its marine mammal hospital, research labs, and education classrooms.
Beginning today, visitors can tour the new headquarters, which is nestled in
the Marin Headlands in Sausalito. Admission is FREE but donations are
encouraged.
Read the full article
here.
EPA proposes $36-million cleanup of waters off Palos Verdes
June 11, 2009
www.latimesblogs.latimes.com
The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday proposed spending at least
$36 million to clean up the world’s largest deposit of the banned pesticide
DDT, located 200 feet underwater off the coast of the Palos Verdes
Peninsula.
Read the full article
here.
MLPA process gets more than a little bit fishy, pro-fishing groups
claim
June 02, 2009
www.latimesblogs.latimes.com
A reader shared an interesting observation this week regarding the
controversial Marine Life Protection Act process, an ongoing saga that
ultimately will set in place a coast-wide network of zones that will become
off-limits to fishermen or carry severe restrictions.
Read the full article
here.
I Need Your Help to Protect California's Coastline
June 02, 2009
www.dailykos.com
The California Department of Finance wants to "drill baby drill" off the
Golden State’s coastline, and they’re willing to undermine 70+ years of
checks and balances to do it. Will we let them get away with it?
Read the full article
here.
The Ghost Fleet
May 21, 2009
www.californiafisheriescoalition.blogspot.com
Californians concerned about protecting our ocean should pay attention to
the ongoing Marine Life Protection Act process that’s supposed to improve
ocean health, biodiversity and marine ecosystems off the coast of
California.
Read the full article
here.
Human Impact Study a Wake-up Call For West Coast
May 21, 2009
www.earth911.com
A
two-year study by the National Center for Ecological Analysis and
Synthesis (NCEAS) concludes that humans have a significant impact on ocean
areas along the West Coast. The study highlights location and intensity of
25 human-derived sources of ecological stress.
Read the full article
here.
The Ghost Fleet
April 10, 2009
www.microkhan.com
The ultimate fate of the National Defense Reserve Fleet has become a hotly
contested matter in recent years, as environmentalists claim the aged ships
are leaking nasty toxins into California s Suisun Bay. That certainly seems
logical, since these rusting hulks were built in the age of asbestos, lead
paint, and other environmental bogeymen. But a recent report from the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration claims otherwise.
Read the full article
here.
Commercial Fisherman Fighting for Less Restrictions
April 8, 2009
www.kcba.com
MOSS LANDING, Calif. - "We're the most regulated industry in the United
States," says Moss Landing fisherman Ernest Pagan. The 32-year fishing
veteran is supporting a group of protestors fighting the Marine Life
Protection Act.
Read the full article
here.
Wave of abandoned boats expected in Ventura County
April 8, 2009
www.venturacountystar.com
The only fact that is certain is that the boat was sinking. Who drilled
holes in the boat s hull that caused it to sink, who abandoned it or how far
they might have been behind on payments is still a mystery.
Read the full article
here.
Carlson: Iowans, donate proudly to refurbish USS Iowa
April 8, 2009
www.desmoinesregister.com
Word is the old
USS Iowa is looking a bit rugged these days. The
wooden decks are popping and the hull is showing a little rust. That's on
the outside. The inside is tight and dry. Air is constantly circulated
through the vast network of the ship's compartments. Bill Stephens, who has
been over and through the great battleship dozens of times, says it's in
fine shape.
Read the full article
here.
Artificial Kelp Reef Monitoring Project Job
March 30, 2009
www.blueplanetdivers.org
We are looking for a few experienced divers to join the SONGS artificial
kelp reef mitigation monitoring team in Carlsbad, California. This summer,
we will be hiring a few candidates to work on a full-time, but temporary
limited (~6 months or so) basis.
Read the full article
here.
Van Zant: Not many hooked on the Marine Life Protection Act
March 25, 2009
www.presstelegram.com
I'm sure that most of you dedicated anglers know about the Marine Life
Protection Act. The MLPA mandates a network of Marine Protected Areas along
our California coast. The United Anglers of Southern California simply said
"No" and presented a proposal against any closures, which proved to be
unsuccessful because a conservation proposal is a demand by the act.
Read the full article
here.
Southern California marine reserve plan spawns debate
March 20, 2009
www.latimes.com
A landmark effort to transform Southern California's coastal waters into a
network of havens for marine life has sparked a fierce debate over where to
locate no-fishing zones that ecologists believe are needed to replenish the
surrounding seas.
Read the full article
here.
CSPA Action Alert: Legislation to Eradicate Striped Bass Introduced
March 20, 2009
www.indybay.org
Assemblywoman Jean Fuller (R-Bakersfield), at the behest of San Joaquin
Valley agribusiness, has introduced legislation to eradicate striped bass in
order to divert attention from the catastrophic impacts of water exports
from the California Delta on delta smelt, longfin smelt, Central Valley
chinook salmon, green sturgeon, southern resident killer whales and other
imperiled species.
Read the full article
here.
Editorial: Mothball Fleet must be removed from Suisun Bay
March 18, 2009
www.contracostatimes.com
We take little solace in the findings of a yearlong federal study that
contaminated sentiment under rotting government ships anchored in Suisun Bay
is no worse than elsewhere in local waters.
Read the full article
here.
Mothball Fleet's Flaking Paint Poisons and Pollutes San Francisco
Bay
March 14, 2009
switchboard.nrdc.org
There's a reason why most ocean-going vessels need regular paint jobs and
maintenance. Old paint, exposed to weather, can peel or chip off. The toxic
material in many vessels' paints can poison local waterways and ecosystems.
Read the full article
here.
Ban on commercial fishing of chinook extended
March 13, 2009
www.sfgate.com
The grim reality of a devastated salmon fishery hit home Thursday when the
Pacific Fishery Management Council agreed to another ban on commercial
fishing of chinook in California and Oregon.
Read the full article
here.
Mothball area no more toxic than other bay waters
March 13, 2009
www.timesheraldonline.com
A year-long federal study recommends no specific cleanup actions for Suisun
Bay's rotting fleet of warships. The analysis, released Thursday, found the
ships to be a source of toxic contamination, but also concluded levels of
heavy metals in nearby sediments and shellfish matched up with other parts
of the bay.
Read the full article
here.
SF port industry poised for a comeback
March 6, 2009
abclocal.go.com
San Francisco tourism may be hurting, restaurants may be suffering, but a
mostly forgotten segment of the business community is positioning itself for
a comeback.
Read the full article
here.
Salmon Shortage Squeezes California as Second Fishing Ban Looms
March 5, 2009
www.bloomberg.com
Duncan MacLean is worried about losing the work he has done for 35 years, as
the salmon population declines so precipitously that fishing off the
California coast may be banned for the second year in a row.
Read the full article
here.
No-fishing zones off OC? A first look at rough maps
March 4, 2009
greenoc.freedomblogging.com
The question: Should some parts of the Southern California coast, including
Orange County s, be declared off limits to sportfishing to protect marine
habitat and wildlife? The answer: Perhaps, but it s going to be a fight.
Read the full article
here.
Group floats idea to sink ships for fish
February 27, 2009
www.times-standard.com
Harbor officials on Thursday supported reconsideration of a concept last
hatched here 20 years ago -- sinking ships offshore to make a haven for fish
and fishermen.
Read the full article
here.
The Navy Has a Top-Secret Vessel It Wants to Put on Display
February 24, 2009
online.wsj.com
Anybody want some top-secret seagoing vessels? The Navy has a pair it
doesn't need anymore. It has been trying to give them away since 2006, and
they're headed for the scrap yard if somebody doesn't speak up soon.
Read the full article
here.
Reef builder eyes old harbor pilings for artificial ocean habitat
February 18, 2009
www.ocregister.com
Nonprofit reef builders hope a partnership between Orange County and city of
Dana Point would allow for mutually beneficial use of pilings in Dana Point
Harbor.
Read the full article
here.
Conservation, Fishing Groups Sue To Protect North Coast Rivers and
Fisheries
February 4, 2009
www.indybay.org
A coalition of conservation and fishermen s groups have filed a lawsuit
today in state Superior Court challenging the failure by the state and
regional water boards to implement clean water laws that protect wild rivers
and streams in California s North Coast region.
Read the full article
here.
Toxic Ship Dealer Caught, Fined for Export of PCBs
January 29, 2009
www.ens-newswire.com
The toxic trade watchdog group Basel Action Network declared victory today
after a U.S. business involved in sending hundreds of ships to the
shipbreaking beaches of Bangladesh and India was forced to pay $518,500 and
certify that they would not take such actions again.
Read the full article
here.
SS Catalina is seaworthy no more
Los Angeles Times
January 6, 2009
The once-proud steamship, which ferried millions of passengers to the island
town of Avalon, is being cut for scrap after sitting for years in Ensenada
harbor.
Read the full article
here.
