Nuisance Tug Scuttled off Alaskan Coast
Maritime Activity Reports, Inc. May 6, 2021
The abandoned tugboat Lumberman was scuttled off the coast of Alaska after it was determined to pose a significant public safety risk. (Photo: City and Borough of Juneau)
A derelict tugboat abandoned near Juneau, Alaska since 2016, has been towed to sea and scuttled in the Gulf of Alaska, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
The Lumberman had been causing problems for locals since it was abandoned in the Gastineau channel five years ago, and the decision was made to dispose of the vessel at sea after the 107-foot steel hulled tugboat was determined to be derelict and a significant risk to public safety, according to the Coast Guard.
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The derelict tugboat Lumberman was scuttled at sea off the southeast coast of Alaska on Sunday after it was determined to be a chronic nuisance.
The Coast Guard Cutter John McCormick, a 154-foot Sentinel–class vessel, towed the 107-ft steel hulled Lumberman, to a position 54 miles west of Cross Sound where it was sunk in over 8,400 feet of water. The decision to dispose of the Lumberman at sea, which had been abandoned in the Gastineau channel in 2016, was made after it was determined to be derelict and posed a significant public safety risk.
Sector Juneau accessed the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund in 2017 to remove petroleum product and again in 2020 to secure the vessel when it became adrift in Gastineau Channel.
Note
: Congress recently voted on a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus package the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA, P.L.117-2). It includes stimulus checks for individuals, expanded unemployment benefits, and funding for vaccines, state and local governments, schools and child care. The ARPA marks a huge win for the Biden administration during its first 50 days in office.
Before the ink is dry, the administration has already pivoted to the second phase of the Biden agenda: Build Back Better. While ARPA was largely a relief bill, the next phase will be about rebuilding the economy, starting with a
mult
itrillion-dollar
plan that includes infrastructure, green energy and incentives to bolster domestic manufacturing. It will also build upon the individual relief provided in the first bill and seek to make those provisions permanent and will likely be paid for by corporate tax rate increases, a repeal of oil and gas tax breaks and increases in taxes on the wealthy.
WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK
Administration Proposal. President Joe Biden will travel to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on March 31, where he will unveil the contours of the infrastructure package.
Biden Preliminary Budget Outline. This week, the Biden administration will release a preview of its Fiscal Year 2022 budget. The figures will allow lawmakers to begin the appropriations process and give Congress information about the president’s discretionary funding priorities. The final budget request is currently expected in May.
Congress Continues Work. Although both chambers will be out of session for the next two weeks on a district work period, lawmakers will continue discussions on the contents of the infrastructure package.
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