Hoboken Will Finally Remove Sunken Boats From Weehawken Cove

HOBOKEN, NJ — After various officials pledged over the years to remove more than a dozen abandoned boats from a cove between Hoboken and Weehawken, the city of Hoboken has finally received funding, announced a city spokesperson Friday.

The city said it has secured over $235,000 in grant funding to remove sunken boats and marine debris starting in spring 2022.

The city applied for a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) a year ago. Just before that, residents had launched a petition to get rid of the boats. READ MORE: Mayor Moves To Rid River Of 17 Boats

Various officials pledged over the years to remove the boats, but others said the city and Coast Guard had no jurisdiction to remove those empty vessels.

Get Out The Boat

"The city has proactively removed these sunken vessels in the past whenever they pose an imminent threat to public safety," noted a release from the city on Friday.

In fact, the city had removed four boats in 2018. READ MORE: Petition Launched To Get 11 Boats Out Of Water

"Removing the vessels will eliminate the potential release of harmful metals and chemicals," said the city, "such as oil and mercury, as well as plastics and fiberglass, thereby helping to restore the local ecosystem."

Second Ward Councwilwoman Tiffanie Fisher, who represents the northeast area of town, said, “This is such great news and a long time coming! Thank you to all involved in making this happen especially Environmental Services Director Gonzalez, Chief Crimmins, the administration and all the residents who have been advocating for this. It definitely took a village!”

Mayor Ravi Bhalla said, "These sunken vessels have polluted the Hudson River to the detriment of marine wildlife for far too long. After years of attempting to identify the irresponsible owners of these boats and taking it upon ourselves to remove them at the city's expense, I am pleased that now, with the help of our local and federal partners, we will be able to remove all the boats from Weehawken Cove."

The 24-month long project will remove the vessels and other marine debris and include a public education campaign to help prevent the future abandonment of marine vessels, create a living shoreline, repair bulkheads within Weehawken Cove, and help restore marine habitats in the Hudson River Estuary.

The city will begin removing the vessels in the Spring of 2022 once a qualified salver is selected.

The $552,000 project will be funded by a $235,129 grant from the NOAA and matching funds totaling $316,906, leveraged from the city of Hoboken, NJDEP, HEP, and Riverkeeper.

Removing the sunken vessels is part of the city's overall initiative to improve Weehawken Cove, including the construction of Cove Park that will help mitigate future flooding, installation of a living shoreline that supports the growth of marine mollusks and filter feeders, educational activities and volunteer opportunities to restore and maintain critical wildlife ecosystems, and possible installation of a reef.

"I thank the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the Hudson County Board of Commissioners, Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise, the Hoboken City Council, Riverkeeper, and the New York-New Jersey Harbor & Estuary Program (HEP) for providing the City with the funds to restore this area of the Hudson River," Bhalla said.

Finally taking action on the boats may help Bhalla in his re-election bid November, as well as the fact that no one's running against him.

Don't miss Hoboken breaking news alerts when they are announced, or get a free daily newsletter each morning with Hoboken news. Sign up with your preferences here.

Got news? Email caren.lissner@patch.com. Got photos? Please include express written permission from the photographer for us to use them. To be the first to get free news alerts with breaking stories in your town, or to get a free local newsletter each morning, sign up for Patch breaking news alerts or daily newsletters.