PROVIDENCE, RI – U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Representatives Seth Magaziner (D-RI) and Gabe Amo (D-RI) today announced that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has awarded a $1,500,512 grant to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) to remove a sunken, crane-topped barge from the Providence River.  The 114-foot barge, which is located at the end of Public Street in South Providence, sank into the river during a nor'easter in October 2017.  Upon the barge’s removal, RIDEM will partner with The Steel Yard to engage local community groups and high school students to help transform materials recovered from the barge into community-informed art and amenities for a public waterfront access point at the end of Public Street.

“This will provide a major lift to the years-long effort to remove the sunken barge, which is an eyesore and safety hazard,” said Senator Reed, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee.  “Not only is the federal government providing funds, thanks to the role of Senator Whitehouse, to clean up this mess, but there is a coordinated effort to salvage the material so The Steel Yard can transform it into engaging works of art.”

“Finally getting that sunken crane out of the water will be a big deal.  I am looking forward to seeing what The Steel Yard and some talented Rhode Island students can do to turn the eyesore into public artwork befitting its location across the highway from the iconic Big Blue Bug,” said Senator Whitehouse, a senior member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and a champion for cleaning up marine debris.

“Art and activism often go hand in hand, and this federal funding will be used to not only clean up the ocean but also beautify the community with art from repurposed materials,” said Congressman Magaziner.

“Turning a derelict barge into beautiful décor is just the latest example of how Rhode Island leverages its past to create a better tomorrow,” said Congressman Amo.  “This federal funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will help clean up Providence’s waterfront and make it safer for vessels, all while uplifting the incredible work that The Steel Yard does to benefit local artists and improve our community.”

The 114-foot-long, more than 150-ton barge sunk into the Providence River during a storm on October 17, 2017, and is completely submerged except for its mounted crane, which sticks out of the water at a 45-degree angle.  The barge poses no immediate environmental hazard and does not obstruct commerce in the port.  Multiple efforts over the years to remove the barge from the river have been sidelined by funding issues and potential environmental hazards. 

“The crane's removal is long overdue, and I'm excited to see what our state's talented artists and students create to turn this blight into beauty,” said Governor Dan McKee.

“DEM is grateful for this federal funding from NOAA’s Marine Debris Program to fund the removal of the barge, which has been one of our priorities for years,” said RIDEM Director Terry Gray.  “Our partnership with The Steel Yard will repurpose the steel from the crane and barge for art inspired by the local community’s input.”

This project’s grant funding was authorized by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Debris Program alongside more than $23 million in federal funding for 13 new projects to remove large marine debris in communities across the country.  Funding for NOAA’s Marine Debris Program was included in Democrats’ historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Senators Reed and Whitehouse helped pass in 2022.

Whitehouse and Senator Dan Sullivan’s (R-AK) bipartisan bill reauthorizing NOAA’s Marine Debris Program passed through the Senate Commerce Committee in late July.  Whitehouse and Sullivan had previously teamed up on the Save Our Seas and Save Our Seas 2.0 laws, which were the most comprehensive legislation ever passed by Congress to reduce marine debris.