It sank to the bottom in 150 feet of water just one day before its planned retrieval. After nine months of waiting, divers and salvage vessels are currently on site to assist in the rebirth of a 75-foot, 40-ton wave energy buoy. The buoy, now in separate pieces, is being towed up the Yaquna River to a salvage yard. The first piece (the 10-foot surface ring) came in at 2:00 am Thursday morning. The Newport Chapter of Surfrider Foundation submitted comments and requested disclosure earlier this year to the Department of State Lands and Finaveras plans for removing the buoy prior to the expiration of the temporary use permit. 'We were concerned that the state was going to be left holding the bag on this, and we didnt want it to set precendent for future salvage efforts that will surely come as we explore new alternative energy projects in Oregon,' said Newport Chapter's Joe Haxel. 'Its great to see Finavera following through on the salvage.' The Surfrider Foundation is excited about the prospects for new alternative energy projects but recognizes the need to move forward with cautious yet optimistic planning. Finavera said they would use the data gleaned from the buoy before its demise to 'move forward with technological development'. We hope the local/state agencies and various stakeholders can embrace this as a learning experience to better prepare Oregon for the development of this new technology.
