Barge Spills 2-Mile Ribbon of Crude Oil Into Galveston Bay
A barge carrying more than 714,000 gallons of oil broke open Monday just outside the Houston Ship Channel, spilling a ribbon of crude oil at least 2 miles long into Galveston Bay.
High seas and winds of up to 45 mph apparently caused the barge to buckle and rupture. Televised images from the scene showed the vessel sunken in the middle and apparently on the verge of breaking in two.
Oil began streaming from the Buffalo Marine Service Inc. barge north of Pelican Island about 1 p.m.
The barge was carrying 714,000 gallons of No. 2 crude oil. Up to 210,000 gallons had spilled by about 5 p.m., Coast Guard Lt. Greg Delong said.
Texas Land Commissioner Garry Mauro said the thick oil won’t evaporate easily. He said high winds, rough seas and the heavy oil would complicate the cleanup.
“Already, it is clear that commerce, wildlife and tourism may suffer serious damage,” Mauro said. “It is the worst possible combination of factors for even the best-trained professionals.”
Crews deployed a protective boom and planned to use skimmers and other oil recovery equipment.
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