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Dismantling of Derelict Abandoned Barge Averts Potential Columbia River Disaster by Staff KATU, December 5, 2024

COLUMBIA RIVER, Ore. -- A 100-foot hunk of peeling paint and rusting metal will now be dismantled instead of threatening the Columbia River.

The abandoned dredge Herb Anderson, which had been deteriorating outside the community of Rainier for over two decades, is set to be dismantled, says the Oregon Department of State Lands.

This will avert a potential threat to the Columbia River, the agency stated in a press release.

"I was losing sleep over the state of the Dredge Anderson," said Brett Bybee, local dock owner and owner of Columbia River Launch Service. "The spud, a long steel shaft keeping the vessel in place, had lost integrity and the Dredge was just one big storm away from cutting loose and floating into the main navigation channel of the Columbia River."

The estimated $1.1 million cleanup was prioritized due to the risk of a significant incident and environmental damage if the state did not intervene to remove the Dredge Anderson.

Scott Smith, Spill Contingency Planner for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, noted that the rusting barge was full of potential toxins that could harm the delicate ecosystem.

"People are often amazed by how many toxic substances may be on these vessels and the many precautions we must take in proper disposal. Oil, PCBs, and lead can all seriously harm our waterways," he said.

On November 20, after divers reinforced the hull for the journey, the Dredge was lashed to a 160-foot crane barge and pushed by tugboat from Rainier to a dismantling facility in North Portland. The vessel will undergo toxic material testing and abatement before it is cut into pieces for recycling.

"Taking these hazardous vessels off our waterways before disaster strikes is one way the state's new Abandoned and Derelict Vessel (ADV) Program protects waterways," said Josh Mulhollem, Waterways Stewardship Manager at the Oregon Department of State Lands. "But we are also concerned with proactively preventing these situations so the state doesn't need to intervene."

The state is pursuing legal options to recover the costs of removal and dismantling from the owner of the Dredge.

Related Pages:
Derelict Barge Walled Off to Protect Columbia River from Pollution by Associated Press, The Republic, 4/20/11
Cofferdam Corrals Leaking Barge's Pollution by Staff, KPTV, 4/19/11
Engineers Will Build Dam Around Leaking Barge by Tim Gordon, KATU, 3/29/11
Columbia River Tar Balls Likely from Barge by Associated Press, Seattle Times, 3/10/11
Here is a Willful, Negligent Polluter by Editorial Board, The Daily Astorian, 2/8/11
Davy Crockett One of Many Dilapidated Vessels on the Columbia by Kristian Foden-Vencil, Oregon Public Broadcasting, 2/3/11
1,200 Gallons of Oil Recovered from Derelict Barge by Associated Press, KVAL, 1/31/11
Authorities Work to Contain Oil Sheen on Columbia near Camas by Lara Takenaga, The Oregonian, 1/27/11
Derelict Vessel's Structural Problems Complicate Cleanup by Mark Bowder, The Columbian, 1/29/11
USCG Respond to Pollution Threat from Derelict Vessel by 13th USCG District, The Maritime Executive, 1/26/11