Replace the term "Embedded" in the Abandoned Shipwreck Act
Replace the term "Embedded" in the Abandoned Shipwreck Act
Why this petition matters
Shipwrecks are a cultural resource that provide current and future generations a glimpse into the past. Viewing the remains of a ship that went down with its cargo and equipment in place is the closest thing we have to a portal back in time. Each is a time capsule, a moment frozen in time. To protect these resources, Congress passed the Abandoned Shipwreck Act (ASA) in 1987 to protect abandoned shipwrecks by asserting title to them and ceding that title to the states on whose bottomlands they lie. One stipulation of the ASA, however, is that the ship must be “embedded” in the submerged lands or in coralline formations. This term is undefined in United States law and leaves a loophole whereby ships resting on hard rock, or on top of the sand, or those which have been uncovered by shifting sea floors are not protected from looting. As such, I propose that Congress amends the ASA by replacing “embedded in” with “adjoined to,” a term that is defined in United States law and means “touching or contiguous with.” With this change, shipwrecks and other associated cultural resources will be better protected for public use for generations to come.