BRUNSWICK, Ga. - Responders continue preparations to remove Section Seven of the Golden Ray wreck.
REMOVAL UPDATE
Responders continue preparations on the VB-10000 to resume cutting Section Seven. Response engineers continue to collect data from fixed monitors and hydrographic surveys and they confirm that the wreck remains stable.
Responders commenced weight-shedding operations on Section Seven of the Golden Ray wreck on Monday. Weight-shedding is a multi-strategy approach to mitigate increased weight in the sections due to large accumulations of sediment discovered during previous lifts. Weight-shedding tactics include vehicle and deck removal, additional drain holes and water streams to remove sediment. Each remaining section will undergo weight-shedding before and after each cut. The goal of weight-shedding for all sections is to remove enough weight to safely lift each section.
Sea-fastening operations continue aboard the Barge Julie B to secure Section Two for ocean transit. Once secured and inspected, the barge will depart Brunswick enroute to the ship recycling facility in Louisiana.
Responders removed vehicles from Section Seven of the Golden Ray wreck during weight-shedding operations. The Fuchs MHL390 materials handler is capable of lifting over 13,000lbs at a maximum horizontal reach of approximately 70ft. St. Simons Sound Incident response video.
Weight-shedding operations on Section Seven of the Golden Ray wreck continue on Wednesday during preparations to resume cutting the section. St. Simons Sound Incident response photo.
Responders use a Fuchs MHL390 materials handler equipped with a multi-tine grapple to access and remove vehicles from Section Seven of the Golden Ray wreck on Wednesday. St. Simons Sound Incident response photo.
Response safety officers from Gallagher Marine Systems and the U.S. Coast Guard observe weight-shedding operations and ensure worksite safety practices are in place. St. Simons Sound Incident response photo.
Responders inspect the interior of Section Seven for additional removal targets using a manlift during weight-shedding operations on Wednesday. St. Simons Sound Incident response photo.
VB-10000 personnel inspect a pulley block that supports one of two lifting beams used in the system that attaches to and lifts sections of the Golden Ray wreck. St. Simons Sound Incident response photo.
Rope access technicians drill guide holes along the cutlines for remaining sections during preparations to resume cutting Section Seven of the Golden Ray wreck. The wreck removal is a highly complex endeavor with multiple operations happening simultaneously. St. Simons Sound Incident response photo.
U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, center, receives an update from U.S. Coast Guard Cmdr. Efren Lopez, federal on-scene coordinator and incident commander Chris Graff of Gallagher Marine Systems, right, about the removal of the Golden Ray during a visit to the wreck site on Wednesday. St. Simons Sound Incident response photo.
The 150-yard safety zone around the EPB is increased to 200 yards for recreational vessels. The 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
Responders transport ocean boom into service around the Environmental Protection Barrier (EPB) during routine boom maintenance operations on Wednesday. The boom is installed alongside high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe to contain any oil and debris at the surface of the water inside the EPB. St. Simons Sound Incident response photo.
Response trawlers search for any subsurface debris that may have drifted through the large netting at the Environmental Protection Barrier (EPB) near St. Simons Island, Ga. on Wednesday. The trawlers are a part of a multi-layered environmental defense system designed to mitigate any oil and debris observed in the vicinity of the Golden Ray wreck. Natural Resource Advisors accompany each trawler during operations to monitor for any impacts to marine life and any bycatch recovered by the trawlers is taken to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Coastal Resources Division for inspection. St. Simons Sound Incident response photo.
An aerial view of Section Two on Wednesday during sea-fastening operations to secure the section and the Barge Julie B for an ocean transit to a recycling facility in Louisiana. Preparations include fastening any vehicles and large material to the barge to avoid any shifting during transit. St. Simons Sound Incident response photo.
Responders load protective boom fouled by marine growth onto a trailer on Tuesday. The response routinely inspects and maintains thousands of feet of protective boom used in the environmental defense system in St. Simons Sound. St. Simons Sound Incident response photo.
Responders wash marine growth off of protective boom during routine boom maintenance operations at the response decontamination facility on Tuesday. St. Simons Sound Incident response photo.
Responders load clean protective boom into a response vessel on Tuesday to redeploy it at one of many strategically located sensitive areas around St. Simons Sound. St. Simons Sound Incident response photo.
Responders continue to observe and recover oil sheens and debris on the water around the wreck site. Natural Resource Advisers continue to monitor wildlife and marine life in the vicinity response operations. Survey teams continue to assess the shoreline to find and remove any debris or other environmental impacts. 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. If you encounter residual oil on the shoreline or in the water, please call the National Response Center hotline at (800) 424-8802.
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 (EPB), 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 motor vessel Golden Ray response operations.
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