No more money to remove old boats near Charleston

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — The money to remove old boats from waterways around Charleston has run out, and there still are more than a dozen vessels cluttering the streams.

The Post and Courier of Charleston reported Friday that a dozen boats have been removed from the Ashley River using a $60,000 grant the city and the Department of Health and Environmental Control obtained.

Sgt. Chad Womack with the Charleston Police Department’s marine patrol says there are at least 15 abandoned boats still in the river.

Womack says the grant was used on boats where officials could not determine ownership. But he says some owners can’t afford the cost of removing old boats, which can total up to $18,000.

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Information from: The Post and Courier, http://www.postandcourier.com