Workers removing tsunami dock on Washington coast

Workers are dismantling a 65-foot long dock from the Japanese tsunami that washed ashore on a remote beach on the Olympic Peninsula.

A spokeswoman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Keeley Belva, said Tuesday they are making progress.

The Peninsula Daily News reports ( http://bit.ly/XnWonZ) the work started Sunday and should be complete by the end of the month.

The dock made of plastic foam encased in concrete is on a beach within the boundaries of Olympic National Park and the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. The Undersea Co. of Port Townsend is cutting the 185-ton dock into pieces that can be carried away by a helicopter.

Japan is paying most of the removal cost.

The dock was lost in the March 2011 tsunami and landed in December in Washington.

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Information from: Peninsula Daily News, http://www.peninsuladailynews.com

The Associated Press