The following is text of a news release from the U.S. Coast Guard:
(NEW ORLEANS) — The Coast Guard, Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinators Office (LOSCO) and local agencies continue to clean up an oil spill on the Lower Mississippi River near New Orleans on Thursday.
The Singapore-flagged vessel Pac Antares hit a pier on Thursday morning, causing an estimated 4,200 gallons of oil fuel to discharge.
Response personnel are conducting an assessment of the impacted area and have established an incident command post to coordinate response efforts.
OMI Environmental Solutions continues to deploy containment boom, sorbent boom and pads around the spill to contain and collect oil. It has deployed one skimmer at the site to skim the oil off the surface of the river and four more are en route.
The Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health and Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality are maintaining stations in the vicinity of Riverwalk mall.
“First responders continue to work to minimize the environmental impacts and protect the public so the river can be opened to commercial traffic as soon as possible,” said Capt. Wayne Arguin, commander, Sector New Orleans.
The Mississippi River remains closed from mile marker 91 to mile marker 101.
The cause of the incident is under investigation.
PREVIOUS REPORT
(NEW ORLEANS) — The Coast Guard and local agencies are responding to reports of an oil spill near mile marker 100 on the Lower Mississippi River near New Orleans on Thursday.
Coast Guard Sector New Orleans watch standers received a report at 10:30 a.m. of the Singapore-flagged vessel Pac Antares hitting a pier and reportedly leaking diesel fuel into the river. The vessel is currently moored at Nashville Avenue Wharf and the leak has reportedly been plugged.
The Mississippi River is closed to vessel movement from mile marker 91 to mile marker 101.
Involved in the response are Coast Guard Sector New Orleans, Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans, National Response Corp., Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinators Office, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, and OMI Environmental Standards.
No injuries were reported.
The cause of the incident is under investigation.
