The Nation : Oil Reported Leaking After Barge Sinks

A barge carrying 318,000 gallons of heavy oil sank in Rosario Strait, near Anacortes, Wash., and divers discovered fuel leaking below the surface in what could be the state’s worst oil spill, the Coast Guard said. The barge, with its cargo in 12 sealed compartments, was loaded at an Anacortes refinery and was being towed to Seattle. It began listing unexplainably in calm seas and went down in 136 feet of water, Coast Guard spokesman Roy Compton said. Divers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had patches of oil on their suits, while murky water and strong currents prevented them from determining the extent of the leak, a Coast Guard official said. It was not known whether the fuel had endangered any shellfish or fish spawning areas.