Drifting Abandoned Barge; Gulf of Alaska, AK

Gulf of Alaska, AK | 2006-May-04

Initial Notification: USCG contacted NOAA HAZMAT for a drift analysis for a derelict barge of unknown origin or ownership that has been floating around in Gulf of Alaska for the past couple of months. The barge was first noted approximately 200 miles south of Adak in the Central Aleutians on May 4, 2006. The vessel was recently sighted on Sept. 9 at 57-19.7N, 142-59.1W, approximately 200 miles south of Cape St. Elias in the Eastern Gulf of Alaska. By Sept 20 the barge had turned north and then westward in its drift and was approximately 50 NM south of Resurrection Bay on the south coast of the Kenai Peninsula. Coast Guard Sector Anchorage has been developing plans to salvage/tow the barge to safe port before it comes aground somewhere in southern Alaska.