No timeframe for removal of stranded Alaska tugboat

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – Officials say there is no timeframe in place for the removal of a tugboat stranded in the channel next to Juneau.

The Juneau Empire reports the 107-foot (33-meter) tugboat Lumberman has been stuck on a sandbar in the Gastineau Channel since May after it drifted when its anchor line broke.

The channel falls under a patchwork of state, federal, and City and Borough of Juneau jurisdictions.

Juneau City Manager Rorie Watt says the vessel is on state tidelands, so removing the boat is the state’s responsibility.

Chris Carpeneti, a natural resources specialist for the state Department of Natural Resources, says the department is still looking for funding sources to move the boat.

The U.S. Coast Guard removed fuel from the tugboat this summer.
—
Information from: Juneau (Alaska) Empire, http://www.juneauempire.com

The post No timeframe for removal of stranded Alaska tugboat appeared first on Newstalk 750 – 103.7 KFQD.