Guidelines for Marine Artificial Reef Materials, Second Edition

• On older government vessels, treatment of contaminants such as asbestos, and PCBs, and
other materials that are considered hazardous wastes under other scenarios, as of spring 2003
have not been aggressively addressed by the EPA in any well-publicized, formal policy
statement or guidelines.
• Procurement of large government-owned vessels through bureaucratic channels (MARAD
or federal surplus property) may take years from initial paperwork application and fund
raising to final deployment, exceeding the time frame in which some funding may be
available and thereby hampering reef construction planning efforts.
• Vessels with high vertical profile and maximum clearance requirements may end up being
placed so far offshore of coasts with shallow seabed gradients that only a limited segment
of the private recreational fishing community can reach these wrecks.
Considerations
• Several Gulf Coast states and Florida coastal counties have demonstrated that it is possible
to have a viable artificial reef program without vessels. It is important for managers to
assess their objectives when securing a vessel, since cleaning and towing costs, especially
when interstate transport is involved, can be prohibitive.
• With the rapid increase in recreational sport diving activities in some areas, ship deployment
in certain areas may have greater value to the diving industry than to the recreational hookand-line
fishery. Vessels deployed in shallow water (60 to 100 feet) are especially attractive
to recreational SCUBA divers. If the funding source is fishing license revenues, and the site
is dominated by divers, this issue should be considered.
• If the intent of developing an artificial reef is to provide recreational fishing opportunities
with some level of fishing success, while at the same time avoiding user conflict, the
combined effect of spear fishing and hook-and-line harvest and liability associated with
diver accidents during wreck diving, may lead to a recommendation to sink vessels at greater
depths (150 to 350 feet).
• Consider using only those steel hulled vessels which are designed for operating in heavy sea
conditions, such as ocean going tugs, oil rig re-supply vessels, trawlers, and small freighters,
which are all structurally sound The focus should be on structural and habitat complexity
of vessels, rather than strictly vertical height or sheer overall length.
• Some contractors or other organizations tasked with cleaning vessels, or their hired laborers
and volunteers have historically not always followed proper hazardous materials and other
waste handling and disposal, and/or general OSHA safety protocols due to lack of expertise
or training, inadequate facilities ,equipment and manpower, desire to reduce project time and
expenses, or insufficient guidance or over sight provided by the contract or project manager,
and focus on removal of salvageable material to the detriment of meeting other cleaning and
preparation objectives (Kurtis Gregg, personal communication; Jon Dodrill, personal
-37-