GALVESTON, Texas (AP) – Initial estimates indicate up to 2,000 gallons of oil may have spilled into surrounding waters when a fuel-laden barge broke away from a tugboat and crashed into a bridge near Galveston, Texas. The U.S. Coast Guard announced Thursday.
the barge crashed For pillars supporting the span of Pelican Island Causeway on wednesday. The impact caused the bridge to partially collapse, cutting off the only road connecting Galveston to Pelican Island, the Coast Guard said.
Video shows a speck of oil spilled from the barge into Galveston Bay. Jeff Davis of the Texas General Land Office said in a press conference Thursday that no wildlife was identified as being affected by the initial cleanup efforts.
The barge has a storage capacity of 30,000 barrels, but was holding 23,000 barrels, or about 966,000 gallons, when it hit the bridge, said Rick Freed, vice president of barge operator Martin Marine. said at a press conference. Freed said the only tank damaged in the incident holds about 160,000 gallons and is a “total risk.”
“We believe that significantly less oil entered the ocean than originally estimated,” Coast Guard Capt. Keith Donahue said.
“We recovered over 605 gallons of oil-water mixture from the environment, as well as an additional 5,640 gallons of petroleum products that did not fall into the water from the top of the barge,” Donahue said.
The Coast Guard earlier said it had deployed booms or barriers to contain the spill, forcing the closure of about 6.5 miles (10.5 kilometers) of the waterway.
The tug lost control of the 321-foot barge due to a “broken coupling” connecting the two vessels, the Coast Guard said.
“Weather had no effect on the coupling issue at all,” Freed said. Asked for details on how the two ships became separated, he said: “We are currently investigating. Until the investigation is complete, we cannot reveal anything further.”
The barge remained on the side of the bridge Thursday, held in place by the weight of railroad tracks and other debris that fell onto the bridge after the collision.
The bridge, which provides the only road access between Galveston and Pelican Island, remained closed to inbound traffic, but vehicles departing from Pelican Island and pedestrians in both directions were able to cross.
Texas A&M University in Galveston, which has a campus on Pelican Island, announced it would evacuate staff and faculty and close the campus, although essential personnel will remain.
“Given the rapidly changing situation and uncertainty surrounding the Pelican Island Bridge outage, Galveston campus management plans to relocate all Texas A&M Pelican Island residents by at least Sunday,” the statement said late Wednesday. said in a statement.
Fewer than 200 school personnel were on the island when the barge hit the bridge. Spokesperson Chantelle Patterson-Swanson said the university will provide transportation and cover housing costs for students who choose to withdraw, but stressed that the school has not issued a mandatory evacuation.
Maria Burns, a shipping expert at the University of Houston, said that apart from the environmental impact of the oil spill, the accident is unlikely to cause major economic disruption in the region.
The affected area is several miles from the Intracoastal Waterway, which sees heavy barge traffic, and the Houston Strait, a major shipping channel for ocean-going vessels.
The accident occurred weeks after a cargo ship crashed into a support post on Baltimore's Francis Key Bridge on March 26, killing a man. 6 construction workers.
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Gonzalez reported from McAllen, Texas.
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This article corrects the spelling of the University of Houston maritime expert's name. Her name is Maria Burns, not Marcia.
