JACKSONVILLE, Fla — The Golden Ray still sits in St. Simons Sound, but there may be some movement in getting the cargo ship removed.
"As much as anyone else, we want the Golden Ray out of the harbor," Billy Birdwell, a senior affairs specialist with the US Army Corps of Engineers, said.
He says the Coast Guard and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources asked about applying for a permit to build a cofferdam, which is a watertight steel enclosure that is pumped dry to allow construction work below the waterline.
It's the same kind of work used in building bridge piers or other structures within the water.
"If they make an application and it is approved, and it would most likely be, then what steps they take beyond that, what other engineering uses they have is strictly up to them," Birdwell said.
The Unified Command, which includes the Coast Guard and Georgia's DNR, says the ship will need to be disassembled where it is because it would be impossible to turn it upright and refloat it.
In a statement, the Unified Command said, "Planning for a removal operation of this size requires a plan that prioritizes responder and public safety, protects the surrounding marine environment, and ensures the wreck is fully removed."
The US Army Corps of Engineers, which is the permitting agency, has not yet received an official application for a cofferdam. There's also no timeline for when that process may start or be completed.
The company that owns the Golden Ray would be responsible for paying for the salvage.