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A collision between a vessel and a barge resulted in 10,500 gallons of oil being spilled into the north tip of the Houston Ship Channel Friday night. It will take about three weeks to clean up the spill, according to the U.S. Coast Guard, during which time the area will be closed to all vessel traffic north of the Sidney Sherman Bridge.
The accident happened when a 458 foot long vessel tried to turn around near Brady Island. During the maneuver, the vessel struck Buffalo Barge #251, damaging one of the vessels fuel tanks and causing the leak of heavy fuel oil.
To prevent the spill from growing even larger, the vessel’s crew transferred the remaining fuel out of the ruptured tank and into an empty fuel tank on board the vessel. A 10,500 gallon spill is categorized by the Coast Guard as a “medium” spill (the threshold for this size spill is 10,000 gallons).
According to the U.S. Coast Guard the spill is significant enough to disrupt business and incur a cost of thousands of dollars to clean. Maritime companies affected by the channel closure will have to wait it out or place an insurance claim to make up their losses.
At least 10 vessels ranging from tugs to barges are trapped in the affected area until the channel reopens.
