(Left) Resolve mobilizes equipment to Louisiana from its U.S. Gulf Response Facility in Mobile, AL; (Right) The 60 Ton American 7720 Crane lifts wreckage out of the water

Resolve was recently hired by the USCG to clean up a number of derelict vessels in the waterways surrounding New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain. The vessels have remained in their current conditions since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Having removed hundreds of similar hurricane casualties, Resolve is very familiar with removing derelict vessels of the size, type, and number that are involved in the operation.

What makes this job so challenging is that the vessels are in very shallow waters, making it impossible for the larger tug to access. Therefore, Resolve is using a truckable sized tug of shallow draft that can be mobilized on the deck of the RMG 60 Crane Barge and deployed via the crane barge.

Resolve mobilized the RMG 60 Crane Barge using the tug Lewis M until it reached the draft area. Thereafter the tug Joey took the RMG 60 the rest of the way to the various job sites. All of the derelict vessels are currently posing pollution and/or navigational hazards where they are located.

Resolve has continued to pull vessels and debris from the water over the past few months. After they are pulled out of the water, they are cut up onboard the support barge.

(Left) One of the derelict vessels is lifted onto the barge; (Right) A Resolve crewmember cuts a derelict vessel barge up with a torch.

Resolve is led by Project Manager Tim McKinnis, Project Coordinator Jennifer Riefler, crane operator Danny Horning, divers, Wayne Maichak, and Robert Tyson, and salvage technicians Brad Bryars and Dirk McKinnis.

Read the article associated with the video clip from The Times-Picayune at this link: http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2008/11/fema_pays_to_clean_waterways_o.html

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