Overloaded barge spills oil near Corpus Christi

The following is text of a news release from the U.S. Coast Guard:

(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) — The Coast Guard and Texas General Land Office personnel continue to respond Saturday to a spill of vacuum gas oil at Flint Hills Resource Dock 3 in the Corpus Christi Inner Harbor.

Coast Guard Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi Incident Management Division and TGLO Region 3 Oil Spill Office personnel are providing oversight until pollution response efforts have completed.

Flint Hills Resource, along with the responsible party Blessey Marine Service, oil spill response contractors are conducting cleanup efforts.

Approximately 1,700 feet of oil containment boom, including skimmers, vacuum trucks and frac tanks are on scene to remove the remaining spilled product from the water.

On Thursday evening the Coast Guard was notified of an estimated 1,176 gallons of oil discharged from an overloaded barge moored at Flint Hills East Dock.

“The Coast Guard will continue to work with our federal, state and local agency partners to ensure impacts of the spill are mitigated,” said Capt. Edward Gaynor, Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi commanding officer. “Interagency partnerships are crucial in the success of pollution incidents and both the Coast Guard and TGLO place a high importance on maintaining these relationships.”

PREVIOUS REPORT

(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) — Coast Guard crews are responding to an oil spill from an overloaded barge moored at Flint Hills East Dock near Corpus Christi on Thursday evening.

An estimated 1,176 gallons of oil was discharged.

Coast Guard Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi Incident Management Division, along with Corpus Christi Oil Spill Association, Flint Hills and barge crews, are currently on scene and in the process of cleanup efforts. Boom has been placed around the barge, including absorbent pads.

A sheen was reported with an estimated length and width of 100 by 450 yards.

By Professional Mariner Staff