Nuisance Tugboat Scuttled Off Southeast Alaska

The derelict tugboat Lumberman was scuttled at sea off the southeast coast of Alaska on Sunday after it was determined to be a chronic nuisance.

The Coast Guard Cutter John McCormick, a 154-foot Sentinel–class vessel, towed the 107-ft steel hulled Lumberman, to a position 54 miles west of Cross Sound where it was sunk in over 8,400 feet of water. The decision to dispose of the Lumberman at sea, which had been abandoned in the Gastineau channel in 2016, was made after it was determined to be derelict and posed a significant public safety risk.

Sector Juneau accessed the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund in 2017 to remove petroleum product and again in 2020 to secure the vessel when it became adrift in Gastineau Channel.

Prior to the scuttling, the City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ) hired Global Diving and Salvage to remove hazardous material and approximately 250 cubic yards of debris, conducted a stability assessment and prepped the Lumberman for sinking. Following environmental consultation with key stakeholders CBJ obtained an EPA General Permit for vessel disposal at sea.

“Nuisance vessels are a challenge to address. In this case we were able to coordinate the appropriate resources to safely remove the threat Lumberman posed to navigation, the local environment and the community of Juneau,” said Cmdr. Byron Hayes, Sector Juneau response chief.