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Port of San Diego Awarded a Marine Debris Removal Grant from National Marine Fisheries Service to Assist in Cleanup of the A-8 Anchorage

The formidable battle of cleaning up the A-8 anchorage in the southern portion of San Diego Bay received some welcome assistance in the form of a grant from the National Fisheries Service. The Port applied for grant funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA Fisheries) for the Community Based Marine Debris Prevention and Removal Project and was recently awarded $42,000 for the cleanup effort.

That funding, combined with $50,000 from the Port’s environmental fund, will allow the Port to improve the A-8 area. First on the list is a project to remove objects like engine blocks, fuel tanks and dozens of discarded batteries that litter the seafloor. Divers will assist with locating and removing the hazardous items. The items will then be transported to a proper disposal or recycling facility. This project will begin in December 2007 and should be completed by March 2008.

In June 2006, the Board of Port Commissioners authorized the closure of the A-8 anchorage. The 82-acre area off the coast of the Sweetwater Channel was the only long-term free anchorage area available on the West Coast. The Harbor Police department had been spending about $250,000 each year to remove abandoned or derelict vessels from the anchorage. The vessels posed serious navigational hazards and were an environmental threat to the Bay. The Port has been working with vessel owners to find alternative mooring areas on the Bay.

The A-8 is scheduled for complete closure by late 2009. In addition to the debris removal in the water, the grant funding will help the Port continue with its Environmental Education Program. The objective of this program is to increase community awareness on the proper disposal of debris. Other educational means include partnering with seven elementary schools to provide environmental education; a San Diego Bay Eco Tours program; a marina inspection program and annual community cleanup events like Operation Clean Sweep, Coastal Cleanup Day and the Creek to Bay Cleanup.

During its 44-year history, the Port of San Diego has taken the lead in a variety of initiatives to enhance the environmental quality of San Diego Bay and its surrounding tidelands. These include wildlife and natural resource management, storm water runoff programs, integrated pest management, environmental education programs and environmental partnerships with public and private entities.