Bay Area residents will never be happy about seeing the New Carissa’s stern carved up and carried away. The shipwreck should have stayed in the surf off Coos Bay’s North Spit, where it could have attracted tourists for decades to come.

But the point is moot. Moving on to the new issues, it’s important to note the state of Oregon has done a good job of protecting the beach and surrounding waters.

Friday’s release of tar chunks brought swift action. The state-hired guy who monitors the beach every day noticed first thing that morning when the solidified oil began washing up in pieces in the tide line.

The locally based members of the Coos Bay Oil Response Cooperative assembled their gear. They were on the beach within about an hour. Another team headed south from Portland and arrived later that day. The guys in the yellow slickers scooped up all the pieces they could see. A couple of them still were on the job today, but most of the tar chunks are gone.

That’s the plan Titan Salvage and the state agreed upon back in February, long before the barges and salvors arrived. That’s the plan that worked.

 Some people were — and some still are — certain the shipwreck would foul Horsfall Beach again with oil and other pollution during this demolition project. It hasn’t happened yet, and it doesn’t seem likely the ship will spew barrels of oil or much else. The Department of State Lands and Oregon Department of Environmental Quality staff did their homework. They said some material might be released, but it would not be liquid dumping into the ocean.

It’s inevitable some bits of metal and tar balls will come ashore. The state designed its pollution response plan accordingly, and Titan has followed it.

Despite how people may feel about the shipwreck’s removal, the state deserves some recognition for following through — so far — on the promise to protect the area around the New Carissa. If the past week is any indication, there’s little reason to believe the shipwreck will leave more environmental stains on the South Coast.

Then again, the New Carissa is known for kicking up surprises.