A crew from the Washougal arm of Ballard Diving and Salvage began day two of its process to remove the derelict dock at Agate Beach this morning. The dock washed ashore on June 5, 2012 and is believed to weigh 130-165 tons. It originated from the Japanese port city of Misawa in the Aomori Prefecture, and was carried out to sea during the March 2011 tsunami.
Ballard Diving and Salvage, which is headquartered in Seattle, was awarded a contract for $84,155 to complete the work. The firm is responsible for removing the dock, recycling or disposing of the material and restoring the work site on the beach.
The company plans to cut the dock into several large pieces, place them on a heavy-haul truck, and transport them to a local facility for final demolition and recycling. Cutting is ahead of schedule and could finish as soon as Thursday, according to Oregon Parks and Recreation.
The dock as it appeared July 31, 2012 in the early morning.
George Bezates (left), owner of subcontractor Bezantes Construction, feeds a plastic pipe that will house the cutting cable beneath the dock.
A diamond-coated cable, part of a wire saw, will cut the dock into sections.
Sand from around the base was excavated to prepare for start of work Wednesday afternoon.
The dock will be cut into five sections, marked with orange paint.
A safety perimeter set up around the dock.
A temporary footbridge has been installed to help visitors reach the beach.
The wire saw at work earlier today.
