NOAA awards state $1.5m for sunken barge removal

  • 2024-09-14
The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has decided to give over $1.5m to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) for the purpose of removing it from the waters of the Providence River, where it sank seven years ago.

The 114-foot barge, which was equipped with a crane, sank beneath the river’s surface during the October 2017 nor’easter. The body of the 150-ton MG Marine Barge is completely submerged, with only its crane, tilted at a 45-degree angle, remaining above water.

Efforts to make the barge’s owner pay for its removal from the Port of Providence were unsuccessful. A legal battle ensued until the owner’s death in 2019.

Lack of funding, as well as the potential to create an environmental hazard, have stymied attempts by officials to remove it since then. At one point, an osprey built a nest on the crane. Since it is illegal to move or disrupt an active osprey nest, per the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, this temporarily halted any attempts as well.

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Fortunately, the barge is not hindering use of the Port of Providence and poses no immediate threat. Once removed, the DEM will be working with a Providence-based industrial arts center, The Steel Yard, to turn the barge’s remnants into community-informed artwork.

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