Dock sent to Oregon beach by tsunami will be dismantled

SALEM, Ore. – A dock that floated onto an Oregon beach after being set adrift in last year’s Japanese tsunami will be dismantled and hauled off for disposal.

But pieces will be saved for a local memorial.

The Oregon Department of Parks and Recreation said Tuesday it has awarded the contract for disposing of the dock on Agate Beach north of Newport to Ballard Diving and Salvage of Vancouver, Wash., which will do the job for about $84,000.

The department said state marine biologists advised there was a high risk that any invasive species that hitched a ride on the dock would get into Yaquina Bay if it was refloated and put to use there.

There was no immediate word on where the memorial would be built or when the dock would be removed.