BRUNSWICK, Ga. — The Brunswick port re-opened Thursday, days after a cargo ship capsized just off the Georgia coast.
It was a major step toward returning to normal operations at the port, which has been closed since early Sunday. Ships will temporarily be evaluated on a case-by-case basis before traveling through the area, a spokesman for the recovery operation told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
But it was still not known how long it would take to remove the Golden Ray, which has been tipped on its side since early Sunday in the St. Simons shipping channel.
Gov. Brian Kemp made the announcement Thursday afternoon during the State of the Port meeting.
Channel 2's Richard Elliot was there Thursday when the governor made the announcement.
#Breaking Gov. Brian Kemp announced that the port of Brunswick is back open four days after a cargo ship capsized near St. Simon’s. pic.twitter.com/nMET1KYXRU
— Richard Elliot (@RElliotWSB) September 12, 2019
"We are back open for business in Brunswick, another remarkable achievement," Kemp told about 1,400 business leaders, elected officials and others.
Authorities expect the Golden Ray could remain in the St. Simons Sound for months.
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"They'll set up a schedule so that they're able to safely move by the Golden Ray and not interfere with ongoing salvage operations or oil pollution work," Coast Guard Capt. John Reed said.
One ship arrived at the docks in Brunswick by late Thursday afternoon, and three others were expected later in the day, Coast Guard Cmdr. Norm Witt told a news conference in Brunswick. Three additional vessels still waiting at sea will likely be allowed in Friday, though Witt noted the Coast Guard was approving trips to and from the port "on a case-by-case basis."
As the Coast Guard works with salvage experts on a plan for removing the Golden Ray, a multi-agency response team is also cleaning up any oil leaks around the site. Officials have said only a light sheen has been discovered so far, and that's being mopped up using absorbent boom that acts like a string of large cotton balls.
Brunswick is one of the busiest U.S. ports for shipping automobiles. More than 613,000 vehicles and heavy machinery units moved across its docks in the 2019 fiscal year that ended June 30.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Associated Press contributed to this article.
Cox Media Group
