Salvors have successfully completed the removal of more than 320,000 gallons of oil and water mixture from the wreck of the car carrier Golden Ray.
Workers and divers are said to have gained access to 26 fuel tanks inside the ship, some of which were submerged and could only be reached by rappelling and conducting dive operations inside the wreck.
Fuel was pumped from the tanks into a barge for proper disposal with the interior of the tanks then washed with steam to remove residual fuel, which was collected and transferred into containers.
“I’d like to thank the over 500 women and men who assisted in every aspect of this successful operation,” said Chris Graff of Gallagher Marine Systems.
“We’ve relied on the Brunswick community and experts around the world to reach this point and are grateful to all those who contributed.”
Jed Hewitt from Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Environmental Protection Division said that the removal of fuel from the vessel has “significantly reduced the remaining threat to the environment”.
“The completion of the fuel removal allows the Unified Command to move on to our ultimate goal of safely removing the wreck of the Golden Ray.”
Work has now begun to remove the vessel’s propeller, propeller shaft and rudder, which weigh a total of around 130 tons, to improve the stability of the wreck.
“Due to the vessel’s orientation on its side, these components are creating a load which the vessel was not designed to support,” said a US Coast Guard official.
“Removing these components will help reduce the stresses on the hull. This operation will help sustain the integrity of the wreck while we prepare for its full removal.”
The US Coast Guard said plans for the construction of an environmental protection barrier and the full removal of the wreck “continue to be evaluated” and will be made public once a selection is made.
