The OSV Bold

[YankeyMCC]

This past Sunday I took my nephews to visit the EPA Ship OSV Bold that was visiting Portsmouth, NH. And I learned an what I think is a very unfortunate fact. This is the EPA's Only such ship. From the web site:

"The Ocean Survey Vessel Bold (OSV Bold) is EPA's new ocean and coastal monitoring ship. With plans to operate in the coastal waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf of Mexico , the OSV Bold will provide EPA with valuable monitoring and assessment information on the health of our nation's coastal waters."

The ship is a 25 year old Navy ship and it only is used to cover the entire east cost, monitoring the coastal environment, supporting important marine environmental research. And the West coast has no ship so sometimes the Bold has to make it way over there too.

http://water.epa.gov/type/oceb/assessmonitor/brochure.cfm


One Ship!? One Ship for the important mission of keeping our coastal waters clean and safe? Not to mention to learn more about them? And a hand-me down ship at that?

I guess I'm just insane because I can't seem to reconcile what seems important to me vs what we as a nation seem to prioritize with our national budget.

on edit: A side note - As I listened to the crew, specifically the deck tech who takes care of the probes and small craft, I wished my life had taken me to such a career :) I'm sure it isn't as rosy as I picture it but damn it seemed like a cool job.