Tug Close to Ending Its 71-Day Tie to Barge Full of Unwanted Garbage
The barge full of garbage that was turned away by six states and three foreign countries was given permission to tie up Monday at a federal anchorage, clearing the way for its tugboat to depart after a 71-day odyssey, a Coast Guard spokesman said.
The tug received permission from the Coast Guard to move the barge to anchorage in the Hudson River north of the George Washington Bridge, Petty Officer Brad Terrill said.
After spending 48 hours at the anchorage to make sure the barge is secure, the tugboat will be free to go, Terrill said. He said another tug could pick up the barge once the final destination of the garbage is determined.
But negotiations for a home for the garbage took a turn for the worse Monday when the town supervisor of Islip, N.Y., bitterly withdrew his offer to take all the trash from the wandering barge, apparently because he was incensed that much of the garbage was from New York City.
Jones said New York officials have characterized the barge as Islip’s problem even though much of the garbage apparently came from New York.
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