Public pushback forces Coast Guard to drop plan to remove navigational buoys

U.S. Coast Guard suspends buoy removal plan after public concern

By Nancy Lavin, Rhode Island Current

The U.S. Coast Guard has cast off plans to remove hundreds of navigational buoys from the Northeast, including in Rhode Island.

The federal maritime agency announced Tuesday it was pausing its buoy modernization plan in light of the more than 3,200 public comments received.

“The Coast Guard will be conducting further analysis of the aids to navigation (ATON) system,” the agency said in a statement posted to its website. “There will be no changes to ATON in relation to the proposal until further analysis is complete.”

The update comes a month after the Coast Guard scaled back its initial plan due to concern from local mariners. Originally, the federal agency proposed removing 350 of the oldest buoys from regional waterways, including 37 in Rhode Island. The Coast Guard then amended its plans to take out 233 buoys, including 20 in Rhode Island.

The revised plan also reopened the public comment period through Nov. 15. But with the plan now suspended, the public comment period is closing early, the Coast Guard said. 

The Coast Guard billed the removal of navigational markers as an embrace of modern technology, targeting the oldest buoys that were put in place before modern GPS systems. But mariners, environmental groups and lawmakers, including U.S. Sen Jack Reed, argued the cuts could compromise safety for boaters who rely on the markers in bad weather, and when GPS systems are unavailable.

Reed praised the Coast Guard for taking heed of concerns on Wednesday. 

“This is a win for our marine interests, including recreational and commercial boats.  Rhode Islanders know these waters best and I appreciate the Coast Guard listening to their concerns,” Reed said in a statement. “This means all the buoys Rhode Islanders wanted to keep have been saved for the foreseeable future. 

The Coast Guard maintains roughly 400 buoys across Rhode Island.

The agency did not specify if or when it might revive a buoy removal plan. However, Rear Admiral Michael Platt, Northeast Coast Guard District Commander, said in a statement that modernizing water markers remained a priority.

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