Page 36: of Marine Technology Magazine (June 2012)
AUV Arctic Operations
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According to Army Corps reports, Sky deployed various types of sonar equip- ment to map the topography, and then used a magnetometer to locate metallic objects for further investigation by the divers. Divers recorded GPS coordinates for each object to complete the detailed mapping work. A fascinating collection of debris joined a growing mini military museum on the pier; a 1917 First Aid Kit, a brass anti-aircraft gunner?s site and a mix of vintage and modern kitchenware tossed overboard from the ships. With the completion of Phase One identifying and mitigating any immedi- ate risks, Capt. Scott Ferguson, Coast Guard Commander of Sector Puget Sound, allowed Port Operations to con- tinue through the 2011 cruise season with additional safety and security mea-sures rmly in place. Phase Two was a broader search of the sea oor beyond the immediate cruise ship berths. The nal search began in February 2012 and was completed in late March. The entire Remedial Investigation pro- cess ended with a series of dull ?thuds? in April as the collected explosives were detonated in a Contained Detonation Chamber set up on the pier. According to Mark Murphy, Project Manager for the USACE, the fuzes were the only ex- plosive materials recovered, ?No fully- armed munitions were found.? Those hoping for a Hollywood-style series of ery explosions were disappointed, as only low-level thuds were heard in the immediate area. In a nal press conference for local news agencies, Col. Wright of the US- ACE was quoted by KING 5 News, ?We are con dent that the removal ac- tion conducted at Terminal 91 resulted in greatly reducing the potential safety risk from remaining military munitions. However,? he continued, ?there are cur- rently no technologies available that are 100 percent effective in detecting all military munitions.? In the end, the nal tab for the search and clean-up topped $11M, and involved dozens of divers, sonar equipment, ROVs, and underwater video cameras. As the 2012 cruise season builds to its peak with ships in port almost daily, it?s hoped there are no more surprises hid-ing in the silt.2 ? MK 3 Mod 1, 40mm, Projectile 1 ? MK 23 series AA Warhead 1 ? MK 29 MOD 2, 3? Armor Piercing Round 9 ? 40mm casings1 ? 5? MK15 ? Armor Piercing 1 ? 20MM projectile147 ? 20mm rounds 20 ? .50 Cal2 ? 40mm roundsA partial list of the more than 300 found munitions include: Side NoteHolland America, Carnival, Princess and Royal Caribbe- an cruise lines use the piers as homeport for their summer Alaska excursions. Although old military munitions have turned up in other locations, no-where else are there large passenger ships parked on top of these munitions in a mere 40 feet of water. June 201236 MTRMTR #5 (34-49).indd 36MTR #5 (34-49).indd 365/31/2012 10:21:18 AM5/31/2012 10:21:18 AM