Americas News
250,000 Gallons of HFO Cutter Stock Spilled in Mississippi River Collision
The U.S. Coast Guard estimates as much as 250,000 gallons of HFO cutter stock was spilled into the Mississippi River as a result of two tow boats colliding on the evening of September 2, just north of Columbus, Kentucky, according to several media reports.
One barge belonging to Inland Marine Services was carrying about 1 million gallons of the cutter stock when the collision, which occurred at Mile Marker 937 at 8:22 p.m., ruptured its cargo tank, according to a U.S. Coast Guard statement.
As a result, the two vessels have been moored on opposite sides of the river, and traffic was halted between Mile Markers 938 and 922, south of Hickman.
The Coast Guard is working with Inland Marine as well as an oil spill response organization to determine exactly how much oil has been spilled.
A later report indicated the waterway had been reopened on Saturday.
This is the second oil spill incident to occur on the Mississippi this year: in April, 420 U.S. gallons of oil spilled into the river in a multi vessel collision, causing a nine mile stretch of the river to be closed between Mile Markers 154 and 163.
