A vessel that sunk near the Ballard Locks in 1980 is being surveyed by a dive team from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today.

As part of the EPA's Puget Sound Initiative, divers will inspect the vessel for potentially hazardous materials like batteries and leaking oil, said Mark MacIntyre from the EPA.

Submerged in 25 feet of water, the vessel is a Coast Guard ice breaker that has been underwater for 20 years.

"We're not addressing this issue because of an immediate threat (that we know of) or because it's a ship that has recently sunk due to a crash," MacIntyre said.

"We know that when vessels sit underwater for a long time, they collect a lot of debris and wild life. While it doesn't pose an immediate threat, we do want to examine it to see if it could potentially harm water life and Lake Union."

Being in close proximity to the Ballard Locks, which sees a lot of commercial activity, state officials wanted more information on the status of the vessel, MacIntyre said.