BRUNSWICK, Ga. - The Barge Julie B departed with two sections of the wreck on Wednesday. The operation to remove the final section of the Golden Ray wreck continues.
REMOVAL UPDATE
Assisted by the T/V Zion, the Barge Julie B departed the Port of Brunswick loaded with two sections of the Golden Ray wreck on Wednesday. The sections will be processed at a recycling facility in Louisiana.
Wreck removal personnel continue to remove the final section of the Golden Ray wreck. A weight-shedding team removed 180 vehicles which will be transloaded onto containment trucks and processed at a local auto recycling facility. The salvage master and the response engineering team assessed the condition of the bottom of the section using hydrographic surveys and visual inspections on Wednesday. The condition of the section requires additional supports added to the cradle system. The section will be stowed and towed to a local response facility for partial dismantling once the construction of the additional supports is complete.
The Barge Julie B departs the Port of Brunswick loaded with two sections of the Golden Ray wreck on Wednesday bound for a recycling facility in Louisiana. St. Simons Sound Incident response video.
The weight-shedding team removes vehicles from the final section of the Golden Ray wreck on Wednesday. The vehicles are then transloaded into containment trucks and processed at a local auto recycling facility. St. Simons Sound Incident response video.
The weight-shedding team uses seawater from barge-mounted monitors to flush sediment from the final section of the Golden Ray wreck on Thursday in an effort to further reduce the weight of the section and ensure a safe removal operation. St. Simons Sound Incident response photo.
Welders continue to fabricate the cradle system on Thursday designed to secure the final section of the Golden Ray wreck to a dry-dock barge. St. Simons Sound Incident response photo.
The D/B THOR heavy lift vessel transits past several response vessels on-station around the Golden Ray wreck site on Thursday. The crane will be used to partially dismantle two sections of the wreck into smaller 200mt to 500mt pieces at a temporary response facility south of Mayors Point Terminal. The smaller pieces will then be transloaded onto container barges and shipped to a recycling facility in Louisiana. St. Simons Sound Incident response photo.
The 150-yard safety zone around the EPB is increased to 200 yards for any non-response vessel transiting outside the shipping channel. The Unified Command (UC) advises mariners to please steer clear of the perimeter to ensure the safety of our responders and the public. Any unauthorized usage of drones (unmanned aerial vehicles, UAVs) around the wreck site and near response facilities is discouraged due to safety. UAVs are distractions that can lead to near misses, mishaps and injuries. Responders will report any sightings of drones and drone operators to local authorities.
ENVIRONMENTAL UPDATE
Members of the response environmental unit recover a piece of debris from the marsh adjacent to the Golden Ray wreck site on Tuesday. The response uses daily helicopter surveys to quickly locate any debris and alerts a nearby assessment team. St. Simons Sound Incident response photo.
On-water response teams maintain a 24-hour watch around the Golden Ray and they deploy pre-staged equipment and personnel to mitigate any oil discharges, sheens and debris observed. To learn more about the response on-water oil recovery program, watch this video Subject Matter Expert Overview – On-Water Oil Recovery Operations
Survey teams continue to recover debris along shorelines and from marsh areas in the vicinity of the wreck site. All debris is sorted, catalogued and disposed of according to the response debris plan. If you encounter what you believe is debris from the Golden Ray wreck, please do not handle the debris. Call the Debris Reporting Hotline at (912) 944-5620. Responders evaluate each report, survey the vicinity and recover any shipwreck debris in addition to their daily surveys of the water and the shoreline.
Shoreline assessment teams survey over 100 miles of shoreline and marsh areas weekly for any oil impacts. If you encounter residual oil on the shoreline or in the water, call the National Response Center hotline at (800) 424-8802.
Wildlife assessment teams continue to survey marsh areas and beaches throughout St. Simons Sound for any potential wildlife impacts. Oiled wildlife sightings have been minimal over the past month. If you encounter any oiled wildlife, do not attempt to capture it and report the sighting by calling (800) 261-0980.
Beaches remain open to the public and the Department of Health urges beach-goers to remain vigilant. For current beach and fishing safety information, please visit the Georgia Coast Health District website at the Georgia Coast Health District website.
Safety personnel continue to measure air quality in the community using stationary and mobile air monitoring equipment. Community air quality analysis and water sample analysis continues to confirm no exceedances of air and water quality standards. To learn more about the Air and Water quality monitoring program, watch this video Subject Matter Expert Overview – Air and Water Quality Monitoring
The Unified Command (UC) developed a multi-layer approach for observing, surveying, documenting and mitigating any releases of oil or debris during cutting and lifting operations. Recovery personnel are on-station at the Environmental Protection Barrier, at the shoreline and on the water around the Golden Ray shipwreck. Responders are maintaining protective boom at sensitive locations around St. Simons Sound.
The St. Simons Sound Incident Unified Command is the official source of information for the Golden Ray wreck removal and response operations.
For more updates, please subscribe for email alerts at https://www.stsimonssoundincidentresponse.com/subscribe
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