PACIFIC NORTHWEST EDITION
A Supplement to:
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August 28 2022 Vol. VI • No. 18
“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded in 1957.” Your Pacific Northwest Connection – Sharon Swanson – 1-760-518-4336 – sswanson@cegltd.com
Hero’s Farewell — Crews Demolish Historic Research Vessel Chnook Observer photo
The RV Hero suffered from neglect before decaying and sinking in Washington’s Palix River estuary in the winter of 2017.
By Eric Olsen CEG CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
A project to demolish the research vessel Hero in Bay Center, Wash., is well under way, with the contractor predicting the job will be finished by mid-September. The legendary wooden boat operated in the Antarctic for 16 years until she was decommissioned in 1984. Following that, the RV Hero suffered from neglect before decaying and sinking in Washington’s Palix River estuary in the winter of 2017. Crews from Washougal, Wash.’s Ballard Marine Construction have been working on the wreckage for about a month, according
to the Chinook Observer in Long Beach, removing hazardous chemicals to pick it apart piece by piece. A massive crane and excavators on a barge have done most of the work. “They’re currently focusing on getting harmful pollutants out from inside the ship, primarily lead and asbestos, but have begun some demolition,” Joe Smillie, spokesperson of the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR), told the newspaper. “Overall, they’re about a third of the way through the project. They will be ramping up demolition efforts in [the] coming weeks.” After a public bid, the demolition was awarded to Ballard Marine for $1.8 million,
not including hazardous material removal or disposal. The total project is expected to be more than $2.5 million due to the asbestos contaminated material, and lead and toxic PCBs on the vessel, DNR noted. Funds came in a special one-time appropriation by the Washington State Legislature. The project has grabbed the attention of travelers along Bay Center Dike Road, who often slow down or stop on the road completely to watch the heavy equipment in action. Many snap photos as the excavator reaches down, crunches a piece of the legendary boat, and pulls it aboard the barge. Ballard Marine removed the wreck of the RV Hero from the site of its sinking. That is
mainly because the project involves rapid aerial work over the street, something that is safest to do without traffic nearby, DNR said. RV Hero Pieces to Be Sent to Its Birthplace While the old boat became a major eyesore for the residents of Bay Center and a significant concern of local fishermen and oyster farmers concerned about pollution coming from the RV Hero, not everyone is happy to see the vessel demolished. Before its demise, the vessel was worldrenowned for its research around the globe, including multiple forays to Antarctica. see HERO page 14