Barge Removed from Reef

The barge that ran aground in Hagåtña Bay was removed and steps are now being taken to repair damage. The Coast Guard said the barge was removed at 6:15 p.m. yesterday, safely and with minimal damage to the reef. According to Department of Agriculture fisheries biologist Brent Tibbatts, both the reef and the barge will be assessed and then repairs will be looked at. Two tugboats were used to pull the barge from the reef during the high tide yesterday evening.The barge was then assessed by the U.S. Coast Guard for seaworthiness and moved into Apra Harbor, where Tibbatts said it will most likely undergo repairs.The cause of the grounding is still being investigated by the Coast Guard, Hirschberg said.Reef assessmentThe reef will also have sustained physical damage, but luckily there were no chemical spills or pollution, Tibbatts said. Source: Pacific Daily News