Barge leaks more oil; river reclosed
A disabled barge that had already spilled hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil into the Mississippi River leaked again Wednesday, forcing authorities to close a two-mile stretch to ship traffic for six hours.
Traffic had just returned to normal on a 100-mile section that was closed for six days after a tanker hit the barge, which was carrying 419,000 gallons of heavy fuel oil.
A tank now braced against a bridge pier leaked about 2,500 more gallons of oil when it settled as the river dropped a bit.
Similar small leaks can be expected until the tank is secured to a concrete pier, a Coast Guard spokesman said.
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