The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is presently taking inventory on some 30,000 coastal wrecks off the US shore, many of them casualties of the 1942 Battle of the Atlantic. They are especially looking for those that might pose a threat to the environment.
NOAA's Lisa Symons said, "We're starting to see significant corrosion." Those that did nor blow up or break apart may still have fuel or armaments aboard.
The worst-threat list has been narrowed to 233 vessels with a final list being prepared for the end of the year. Efforts will be made to remove oil from these ships using funds from the Oil Spill liability Trust Fund which is supported by the oil industry.
Wreck spills are a threat globally, with an especially high concentration in the western Pacific (where many World War II battles took place). But the US coastline is littered with the wrecks of ships sink by German and Japanese submarines.
A Congressional appropriation of $1 million is being used for the identification project, part of which involves looking through ship manifests, naval records, sinking reports, insurance documents and survivors accounts. (Hey, even a lot can be learned through a quick Yahoo! search.)
More to Come. --Cooter
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