Sara and I have been back from New Zealand for over a week, our photos are coming up soon. But some work related stuff couldn't wait.
Since I've been in American Samoa representing the Port, two marine vessels have sunk in the harbor. The problem is American Samoa has no laws dealing with abandoned or derelict marine vessels. Thus its difficult for the government to be proactive about dealing with these problem ships. To help alleviate this situation I drafted a proposed statute that lays out the procedure for noticing, removing and disposing of abandoned boats. The proposed statute is adapted from Alaska's Title 30, Chapter 30. After a bit of lobbying by the Coast Guard, the Director of Marine & Wildlife Resources, the Director of the Department of Port Administration and myself the proposed bill is scheduled for a hearing on Thursday morning.
The Attorney General has asked me to attend and testify on behalf of the Office of the Attorney General. I'm excited to see some action on this issue. With less than two months left on my contract, I'm eager to leave American Samoa with a better legal means of dealing with dangerous ships. I'll give an update after the hearing.
