What’s up with the oil platforms off Burlington’s waterfront?

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) — Some jump off diving boards in the summer. Others traverse old oil platforms off the shore of Lake Champlain. WCAX viewer Dave emailed us and said he was “curious why these oil pumps are still in the water. Do they have a potential leakage? Are they still being used?” Reporter Sophia Thomas went looking for answers.

Roughly 160 yards off of Oakledge Park, two weathered structures rise from the water.

“It looks like something that would be fun to go swim and jump off of,” said Max Drapa of Essex.

And many locals do just that. Known as “bollards” or “dolphins,” the platforms pumped petroleum from barges to waterfront tank farms during the early and mid-20th century. Burlington — along with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — removed three of eight bollards around 2014 due to deterioration. The remaining bollards and their old pipes still snaking to shore became unlikely attractions.

“It’s great to keep the history intact,” said Robert Wilczynsky with the Waterfront Diving Center. He says the two of the bollards are prime habitat for wildlife and underwater exploration. “We can use those dolphins to orient ourselves to where we want to go in this site, to keep us safe, and in a place that we know where we are.”

Neither the state nor the Corps could tell me who owns them. Corps officials say there would need to be an assessment to determine if they pose any environmental risks.

They have put people in danger. In 2017, a Burlington teen drowned while trying to swim to one.

“They seem a little rusty, a little far. And I heard someone has drowned going out there, so I’d be a little worried,” said local resident Maria Muller.

Wilczynsky says swimmers should be cautious before diving in. “It could be dangerous. You want to make sure it’s deep enough so you’re not going to land on the bottom,” he said.

City officials say there are no current plans to remove the bollards, and it would likely be expensive. It cost the federal government about $1.5 million to remove the previous three.

As long as they’re there, locals have no plans to stop exploring. “As long as there’s no signs — by the look of it — saying don’t climb up here, it does look pretty neat,” Drapa said.

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