Posted on March 30, 2020
Donjon Marine Co., Inc., Hillside, N.J., is expediting dredging operations at Manhattan Cruise Terminal to make way for the U.S. Navyโs hospital ship USNS Comfort. The USNS Comfort has received orders from President Trump to dock in Manhattan as a relief hospital facility for individuals needing hospital care but who are not necessarily infected with COVID-19. This will free up more bed space in New York City NYCโs land-based hospitals for coronavirus patients. The ship has upwards of 1,000 hospital beds.
Donjon Marine was contacted last week and asked to begin dredging Manhattan Cruise Terminalโs Berth 4 in anticipation of the arrival of the Comfort to New York City. Donjon sprang into action, hurrying a dump scow out of dry dock 10 days earlier than scheduled, and moving its dredge the Delaware Bay and two others from ongoing projects scows into position.
โThat wasnโt all we had to do,โ said Donjon Marineโs Thomas Witte, Executive Vice President and Director of Dredging. โWe needed expedited permits and authorizations from the federal government, state of New York and the city in order to place dredge material in certain locations. And, we were able to receive them โ in less than 12 hours from being requested to issuance.โ
Witte said he has never seen approval of permits move that fast, stating โ9/11 was close.โ He credits the quick action on permits to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineersโ Thomas Creamer, Chief of Operations and Jodi McDonald, Deputy Chief, Operations, Readiness, and Regulatory Functions Division.
Donjon is moving crewmembers and supplies in-and-out of Manhattan on shuttle boats from Jersey City.
โWhen America says jump, we donโt ask why, we ask how high—that is what the U.S. dredging industry does โday in, and day out โ Donjon Marine is another shining example of the U.S. dredging industry,โ said William P. Doyle, Chief Executive Officer, Dredging Contractors of America.
UPDATE: Meantime, on the other side of the country Foss tugs escorted sister hospital ship USNS Mercy into the Port of Los Angeles (see story),
Source: marinelog
