WA Dock Removal Begins

The removal of the dock that washed ashore on a remote stretch of beach in the Olympic National Park is now in the process of being removed.

The Washington Marine Debris Task Force has posted excellent photos of the dock, explaining the process of removal and highlighting the precarious location.  They can be viewed on their Flickr page.

The dock viewed from the air after washing up in the Olympic National Park [Photo: US Coast Guard]

Washington Dock due for Removal by Airlifting; More Large Debris Washes Ashore

Washington Dock to Be Removed via Airlift

The dock that washed ashore in December on a remote stretch of beach in the Olympic National Park now has a 'concrete' plan for removal (Clever, eh?).  Constructed of cement, rebar, and foam, the dock has presented itself as a formidable problem for park officials.  The dock is accessible only by trails, and is on a rocky stretch of shoreline that is too dangerous for boat removal.

The dock's removal plan is something out of an action movie:
Equipment will be flown in via helicopter, and the dock, which has sunk into sand and cobble due to winter weather, will be dug out and exposed.

Next, the dock will be cut into smaller pieces, with care to prevent the large amounts of foam which gave the dock its buoyancy, from escaping into the environment.  Foam pieces will be removed via airlift as soon as they are exposed.  Once the dock is in small enough pieces to transport, they will be airlifted to private land, where they will then be trucked off for disposal.

Dock washed ashore on a rocky stretch of the Olympic National Park. [Photo: komonews.com]

The area where this will be occurring- Goodman Creek to Jefferson Cove- will be closed to all public entry until the dock is removed.

No news yet whether this was successful.



Boat with Japanese Writing Washes Up In Southern Oregon

Yet another boat with Japanese writing has washed ashore in Oregon- this time further south in the coastal dune town of Florence.  The boat is about 24 feet long and was spotted by volunteers with the Surfrider Foundation at Muriel Ponsler Memorial Wayside Beach.

The boat hasn't been definitively identified as tsunami debris, but it very well could be.  It was removed and taken to the local landfill.

Workers remove boat washes ashore last week in Florence, Oregon. [Photo: Oregon Parks and Recreation Department]

Japanese Government Allocates Debris Funds

As noted in previous entries, Japan has allocated $5 million dollars to the United States (and an additional $1 million to Canada) for the cleanup of tsunami debris (far outreaching the US's own contribution of $150,000 divided between three states).  The $5 million is initially being divided by NOAA into $250,000 each for Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California and Hawaii. 

The rest of the funds will be put into a reserve for use as the need arises, since the final effects and distribution of tsunami debris on US shores is still unknown.

Refrigerator-Sized Chunk of Debris removed from Hawaii's shores
 
On March 11th, a large piece of debris washes ashore in the Ahihi-Kinau Natural Area Reserve in Maui, Hawaii by a member of the Citizen's Advisory Council for the reserve.

The piece of debris is not definitely Japanese, but was abnormally large for normal marine debris. The large box-shaped item, which was covered in non-Native mussels and barnacles, was removed by helicopter the next day.

Photo: Mauinews.com

Preparing for Debris

On the west coast of the US, several states are preparing themselves to deal with  the onslaught of tsunami debris that is bound to hit shorelines this winter.  Indeed, winter storms have begun and with them comes increased washup of materials.

Washington State has taken many steps to prepare itself for oncoming tsunami debris, including states, local governments, private, and  non-profit organizations.

The Washington State Marine Debris Task Force has scheduled a series of community meetings regarding tsunami debris.  The next upcoming meeting is on December 5, 2012 in Long Beach, WA.  Meetings include information as to potential hazards, expected distribution and volume of debris, and community issues.

Click here for more information.


DEBRIS CLEANUP

Teams and individuals  along the coast have been working to pick up debris as it appears, and thus far have led successful efforts to keep ocean beaches and shorelines clean.  In fact, collection of marine debris has greatly overtaken other cleanup and maintenance efforts.  In Willapa, Washington, teams removed 9,400 pounds of marine debris, much of which was attributed to the tsunami. Recent reductions in volume of debris have allowed community efforts to catch up with what has washed up thus far. 

WHAT TO EXPECT

NOAA has made an effort to remind folks that even though there has been a relative break in debris, it is fact still on its way, and can be expected to reach us in the coming 6 months.  Of the 1.5 million tons of debris that was washed ashore in the 2011 tsunami, approximately 33,000 tons are expected to reach US shores by June.  Not all of the debris may be Japanese- Chinese and Russian debris have also been reported, but not definitively linked to the events of the tsunami.  The most recent model (from earlier this month) suggests that the 'nucleus' of debris is about 1,000 miles away from US shores, however some aggregations of debris may be 400 miles or less from shore.

NOAA Debris Model for November, 2012.  The area with solid lines contains the highest concentration of debris, and the larger area within dotted lines encompasses the 95% probability for all marine debris.  See the enlarged map for better graphics and details.

Interestingly, the Environmental Ministry in Tokyo has pledged $6 million to the US government and Canada for cleanup efforts.  The irony in this is that the United States itself has thus far only pledged $150,000 for clean up, and indeed much of this has already been used.  This will be a political development worth watching.

Tsunami debris on Alaska's shores [Photo: The Asahi Shimbum]

If you have any questions about what to do with debris, invasive species that may be hitch hiking on debris, or local cleanup efforts, please view my other pages.

Washington State Task Forces

Due to increased volumes of debris, Washington State has established a number of tsunami debris resources.
I will post these here and also add them to the 'Resources' page (link on the right side of the page).

Washington has created what is called State Marine Debris Task Force, headed by the Military's Emergency Management Division.

A toll-free number has been established for those who find marine debris, either relating the tsunami or not:
1 (800) 922-6278

 Those who find non-hazardous debris (plastic, styrofoam, and other small manmade materials) are encouraged to remove and dispose of them.

If you find tsunami-related debris that is not easily removable, please take a photo, note the location, and email the information to: disasterdebris@noaa.gov.

Also interesting is the News Portal that the state has established:
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/news/2012/itn01_debris.html

The beautiful Olympic coast of Washington State. Photo courtesy of National Geographic.