Oil spills after towboat collision on Mississippi River (UPDATE)

The following is the text of a news release from the U.S. Coast Guard:

(PADUCAH, Ky.) — On-scene assessment teams on Thursday have reported the maximum estimated potential clarified slurry oil released from a towboat collision is now 250,000 gallons.

The maximum potential spill has been reduced because the two remaining partitions aboard the affected barge were reportedly secured.
A Coast Guard HC-144 Ocean Sentry fixed-wing aircraft conducted an overflight earlier today, which revealed a five-mile discoloration beginning at the impact site.

A safety zone is in place on the Mississippi River, currently closed to all traffic except response vessels between mile markers 939 and 922. A queue is in place, six upbound and nine downbound.

Coast Guard Sector Ohio Valley watch standers received a call about a collision between two towboats at mile marker 937 at 8:22 p.m. Wednesday.

The cause of the collision is currently under investigation.

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(PADUCAH, Ky.) — An incident command post has been established in response to a towboat collision on the Mississippi River near Paducah on Thursday.

Coast Guard Sector Ohio Valley watch standers received a call about a collision between two towboats at mile marker 937 at 8:22 p.m. Wednesday.

The collision caused damage to at least one barge containing clarified slurry oil, rupturing the cargo tank and discharging an unknown amount of oil into the Mississippi River.

The barge reportedly has a maximum potential of 1.05 million gallons of clarified slurry oil. The Coast Guard is working with the barge owner and SWS, an oil spill response organization, to determine the amount of slurry oil that has been discharged.

The Mississippi River has been closed to all traffic from mile marker 938 to 922, with the exception of authorized vessels working the incident.

The cause of the collision is currently under investigation.

By Professional Mariner Staff