Figure 1 shows photos of ADVs  in U.S. waterways. See appendix I for selected highlights  of the 30 coastal state’s ADV-related laws. Federal ADV Response Guided by Authority, Interagency Agreements and Funding

		Federal Response Authorities Outlined in Federal Laws and Regulations, the National Contingency Plan, and Interagency Agreements

Federal laws, the National Contingency Plan (NCP), and interagency  agreements, delineate federal authorities and roles for responding to  maritime pollution and navigation threats, including those posed by  ADVs. Federal agencies have also established interagency agreements to  further guide their authority and respective roles for responding to  navigation and pollution threats posed by ADVs. For example,  In 2012, the Coast Guard and USACE headquarters signed a  Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to improve their efficiency and  effectiveness for determining whether an obstruction is a navigation  hazard and for the marking and removal of sunken vessels and other  navigation obstructions. The following highlights responsibilities of the Coast Guard, EPA,  USACE, NOAA, and FEMA, as outlined in federal law, the NCP, and  interagency agreements. Figure 2 shows the circumstances in which federal agencies generally  respond to ADV-related incidents in U.S. waterways as Federal On-scene  Coordinators, or through funding ADV removal by state, local, tribal, and  nonprofit organizations, based on their respective authorities outlined in  the NCP, federal laws, and interagency agreements. Federal Agencies Reported Exercising Authorities within Funding Constraints

Federal agencies reported they generally did not have funding to support  actions beyond responding to ADVs posing navigation, pollution and  public health threats, nor were they required to do so by federal law or  agency policy. Federal Agencies Track their Responses to Pollution and Navigation Threats, but ADVs are Not Specifically Tracked Federal Agencies Track Pollution and Navigation Threat Responses, but Do Not Specifically Track Responses to ADVs

Federal agencies with ADV-related authorities maintain data on their  responses to and associated expenditures for responding to pollution and  navigation threat incidents in U.S. waterways, which in some instances  involved ADVs. States Reported Varying Actions to Address ADVs

		Many States Reported Data on ADVs Identified and Removed and Related Expenditures

More than half of the states responding to our survey reported data on the  number of ADVs they had identified and removed in their states in an  almost three-year period. Table 3 shows the  reported ADV-related expenditures for each of these states. State Perspectives on Addressing ADVs

The 28 coastal states that responded to our survey also reported various  perspectives on factors that affect their ability to address ADVs in their  state including authority and funding issues, challenges with disposing  ADVs, and concerns with federal actions. Agency Comments

We provided a draft of this report for review and comment to the  Departments of Commerce, Defense, Homeland Security, and the EPA. We received technical comments that we have incorporated, as  appropriate. Appendix III: Estimated Federal Abandoned and Derelict Vessel (ADV) Expenditures, Fiscal Years 2005 through 2015

According to our analysis of Coast Guard, Environmental Protection  Agency (EPA), Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), National Oceanic and  Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and Federal Emergency  Management Agency (FEMA) data and case documentation, federal  agencies expended at least $58 million from fiscal years 2005 through  2015 to respond to about 2,000 incidents in which ADVs posed navigation  or pollution threats.
Why GAO Did This Study

ADVs can block navigable U.S. waterways and pose threats to the environment, and public health and safety, as fuel and hazardous material can leak into the water as the vessels deteriorate. Multiple federal agencies have responsibility for responding to ADV-related incidents, while states may also address ADVs through their own laws and policies. GAO was asked to review actions federal and state agencies have taken to address ADVs in U.S. waterways. This report examines (1) key factors that guide how federal agencies respond to ADVs; (2) the extent federal agencies track ADVs and their expenditures for responding to them; and (3) actions states have taken to address ADVs and the factors they cite as affecting their efforts.
GAO reviewed federal laws and policies which guide ADV-related actions for the Coast Guard, EPA, USACE, NOAA, and FEMA, and analyzed these agencies' ADV-related caseload and expenditure data for fiscal years 2005 through 2015, the most current available data. GAO interviewed agency headquarters and field-based officials in four states, selected for their geographic diversity and varying state laws and actions regarding ADVs. GAO also surveyed 30 coastal states regarding their ADV-related actions, expenditures and challenges.

What GAO Found

Federal agencies respond to abandoned and derelict vessels (ADV) in accordance with federal law, interagency agreements, and funding availability. Federal laws and the National Contingency Plan—the government's blueprint for responding to oil and hazardous substance releases—establish federal agency roles for leading a response to an ADV-related incident based on various factors, such as the type of ADV threat posed and its location (see fig. below). Interagency agreements have also helped to guide federal ADV response efforts. For example, the Coast Guard and Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) signed an agreement in 2012 outlining their procedures for responding to navigation hazards, including sunken vessels. Agencies reported they generally did not have funding to support actions beyond responding to ADVs posing navigation hazards in federally-maintained waterways and pollution and public health threats, nor were they required to do so by federal law or agency policy.
Key Federal Agency Responses to Abandoned and Derelict Vessels
The Coast Guard, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), USACE, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) maintain data on responses to, and associated expenditures for, pollution and navigation threat incidents in U.S. waterways, which sometimes have involved ADVs. GAO analysis determined that these agencies expended at least $58 million on ADV response from fiscal year 2005 through 2015. Over two thirds of these expenditures were associated with two ADV-response cases, in 2008 and 2011.
The 28 coastal states that responded to GAO's survey reported on their various ADV-related actions and perspectives on factors affecting their ability to address ADVs—including limitations on their state authority and insufficient funding.

What GAO Recommends

GAO is not making recommendations in this report. Agencies provided technical comments on a draft of this report, which GAO incorporated, as appropriate.