I thought this would be a more interesting picture. The RI DEM announced last Monday that work to remove this derelict, sunken, crane-topped barge was to begin this week; there were, however, no signs of such activity yesterday. A $1.5 million grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will cover the cost of extracting this steel-hulled navigational hazard from the spot where it went down in 2017. Once retrieved, metal artists over at the Steel Yard will be getting their hands on it.
In collaboration with The Steel Yard, materials recovered from the barge’s hull will be used to construct community-informed art and amenities at the Public Street coastal right of way. DEM is also partnering with Save The Bay to host volunteer marine debris cleanups after the barge is removed. These efforts are deeply rooted to DEM’s strategic goals of advancing environmental justice through community engagement and sustainability through reuse of the salvaged materials.
The grant — first announced last September — represents persistent work by our congressional delegation and we thank them. At that time I wondered what could be done going forward to ensure that taxpayers would not be left on the hook for such irresponsible business owners:
What bothers me is that the owner of the barge refused to do anything about it and then he died. And then the state gets stuck with it? Don’t these businesses have to post a bond or show proof of insurance to do business in our port? Or would that be one of the onerous regulations that the business community is always griping about?
More at the ProJo.
After the MG Marine barge sank off Public Street in an autumn nor’easter in 2017, owner Mark Ginalski refused to remove it from its resting place on the riverbed with its crane tilting above the water. His death in 2020 left it up to the state to do something about the eyesore.
This photo was taken from the Public Street right-of-way, the very location that will host the new metal sculpture/s.
The Public Street right-of-way is easily accessed off of Allens Avenue. Just drive down to the water and pull over.
Go check it out — no one can stop you. (Directions.)