City of Oakland to Receive $3.16M for Estuary Cleanup

Estuary cleanup funding provided by Biden-Harris Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

The City of Oakland is set to receive $3,164,649 to clean up the Oakland Alameda Estuary, as part of a nationwide marine debris removal project funded by the Biden-Harris Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law . The Department of Commerce and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recommended more than $23 million in funding to support marine debris removal and interception efforts for 13 multi-year projects across 10 coastal U.S. states, three territories, and the District of Columbia.

Oakland’s project will remove abandoned and derelict vessels and other large debris items including appliances, furniture, and a large debris pile from the Estuary. The project will also institute a boat buy-back program and lead shoreline cleanups and outreach efforts involving estuary stakeholders, marinas, local aquatic teams and clubs, businesses, neighborhood groups, and the extended estuary community to raise awareness and collaborate on solutions to prevent marine debris.

The City of Oakland will work with I Heart Oakland-Alameda Estuary , East Bay Regional Park District , and other community partners and local volunteers to prevent, monitor, and remove abandoned and derelict vessels. Learn more about the project at the NOAA’s Removing Marine Debris and Promoting Stewardship in the Oakland Estuary website.

“The Biden-Harris Administration is funding critical projects like these that will help remove and address harmful marine debris that can significantly impact water quality, habitats, and economic prosperity in coastal communities across the nation,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo.

Following a competitive merit review process, NOAA recommended projects that focused either on large marine debris removal or the installation, monitoring, and maintenance of interception technologies that capture marine debris at or close to the source.

“This was a highly competitive process that highlighted the tremendous need and high demand communities have for marine debris removal support,” said NOAA National Ocean Service Director Nicole LeBoeuf. “These high-impact projects will create cleaner and safer shorelines while preventing future debris accumulation in the environment.”

Nine of the 13 projects are concentrated on the removal and disposal of large marine debris, such as abandoned and derelict vessels and fishing gear. The remaining four projects are centered on deploying proven interception technologies to capture trash, including plastic bottles, food wrappers and other persistent debris from urban environments before it enters the nation’s waterways. All selected projects are anticipated to advance equity and deliver benefits in tribal and other coastal communities facing environmental and climate challenges.

Projects recommended for funding

• American Samoa Department of Port Administration (American Samoa, $3,049,396)
• City of Benton Harbor (Michigan, $1,032,500)
• City of Oakland (California, $3,164,649)
• Gulf of Alaska Keeper (Alaska, $3,799,493)
• Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (Washington, D.C. and Maryland, $963,132)
• Ocean Conservancy (Nationwide, $5,218,000)
• The Ocean Foundation (Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands, $847,881)
• Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (Rhode Island, $1,500,512)
• Washington State Department of Natural Resources (Washington, $1,029,285)

• Rochester Institute of Technology (New York, $912,829)
• Florida State University (Florida, $677,554)
• Savannah Riverkeeper Inc. (Georgia, $560,965)
• Galveston Bay Foundation (Texas, $505,592)

For more information about the selected projects, visit the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s website.

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