St. Tammany plans $1 million cleanup to remove 16 abandoned boats from waterways

For years, abandoned boats in St. Tammany Parish's waterways have created obstacles for other boaters and leaked hazardous material into wetland habitats.

Now, the parish is embarking on a $1 million effort to remove 16 abandoned vessels from the Tchefuncte River, Pearl River, Bayou Liberty and Bayou Lacombe. The work will be done in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Coastal Environments Inc, a Baton Rouge-based environmental consulting company.

In a statement, Parish President Mike Cooper called the "unsightly derelict vessels" a "clear danger to public safety" and said the initiative was needed for visitors and residents of St. Tammany alike. Some of the boats have been abandoned since Hurricane Katrina, Cooper's spokesperson, Michael Vinsa