Four years after the Davy Crockett became news in Clark County, the saga of the derelict ship continues to have an impact on the state. This time, however, the impact is a positive one, as Gov. Jay Inslee last week signed legislation designed to help prevent environmental disasters perpetrated by abandoned or crumbling vessels.
The Davy Crockett served as an impetus for the law, which will come as no surprise to anybody who was around these parts when the melodrama unfolded. The vessel, a 430-foot barge that was a converted World War II-era ship, leaked oil and other pollutants into the water where it was moored near Camas. The problems started with a botched attempt to scrap the ship, and the result was a cleanup that cost the state $22 million and left the owner with a four-month prison sentence, plus hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines for violating the federal Clean Water Act.
But the Davy Crockett was not alone in pointing out the physical and environmental dangers of derelict vessels. While Washington’s vast waterways are a blessing, they also can be a curse when vessels are abandoned or left to atrophy. In 2012, the fishing vessel Deep Sea caught fire and sank at Whidbey Island, costing the state $3 million to raise, remove and dispose of the ship. The incident spewed more than 5,000 gallons of oil into the water and led to a temporary ban on shellfish harvesting in the area.
In the wake of that, Rep. Norma Smith, R-Clinton, who lives on Whidbey Island, has spearheaded efforts over the past two years to legislatively deal with the issue. In 2013, she shepherded House Bill 1245, which strengthened the Derelict Vessel Removal Program that is administered by the Washington Department of Natural Resources.