Americas News
Oil Spill Reported from Mississippi River Barge
An oil spill has been reported from a barge on the Mississippi River in the US.
The US Coast Guard was notified about the spill from a Kirby Inland Marine barge near Natchez on Saturday evening, it said in a statement on its website on Monday.
The vessel was being towed along the river at the time of the incident, in which an estimated 3,402 gallons of oil was discharged into the water.
No reports of wildlife impact have been reported so far, and 800 gallons of oily water mixture had been recovered by Monday.
"The Coast Guard is working diligently with Kirby Inland Marine and the Oil Spill Removal Organizations to ensure a timely and effective clean-up to mitigate any environmental impacts," Capt. Ryan S. Rhodes, commander of Sector Lower Mississippi River and federal on-scene coordinator for the incident, said in the statement.
"Responders from each organization are working tirelessly to assess and remove the product from the shoreline and waterway."
