A decommissioned jail barge that spent decades moored off New York City was towed away Monday, ending its long and controversial run on the Big Apple waterfront.
The removal of the Vernon C. Bain Correctional Center from the Hunts Point Peninsula in the Bronx was carried out by Louisiana Scrap Metal Recycling, Lafayette, La., a dismantling and recycling company selected through a request for proposal by the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC). The company will tow the barge to its Gibson, La., facility for dismantling. Recovered steel and other metals will be sold to U.S. mills and foundries for reuse.
The tow-away involved three tugboats — the offshore tug Zion M Falgout from Offshore Towing Inc., Larose, La., and the assist tugs Casey Ann and Douglas J from DonJon Marine Co. LLC, Hillside, N.J., — to transport the five-story barge out of New York…