MENU
MENU
Posted in Louisiana Maritime News,Maritime Accidents on February 17, 2012
A portion of the lower Mississippi River remains closed Friday after two barges collided approximately 50 miles north of New Orleans.
According to a Coast Guard report, a construction barge being towed by the M/V Alydar collided with a tank barge being towed by the M/V Clarence W. Settoon early Friday morning near mile marker 139 on Mississippi River. As a result, the tank barge suffered a huge gash in her side above the waterline that released some of her cargo of Louisiana sweet crude oil.
So far the USCG has not yet determined the exact amount of oil released however it is said to have been less than 10,000 gallons. At the time, the tank barge was loaded with 3,535 barrels, or about 148,470 gallons.
A section of the lower Mississippi River near LaPlace was closed after the collision but was partially reopened this morning at 11 a.m. CST to southbound traffic one vessel at a time. For northbound vessels, the section will be open 6:00 p.m. CST Friday to 4 a.m. CST Saturday, while southbound traffic is stopped.
“One of our priorities is to facilitate the safe continuation of commercial traffic,” said Gautier. “Safety is paramount, and the unified command is working to minimize the impact this spill has on people, the environment and commerce.”
The M/V Clarence W. Settoon is owned and operated by Settoon Towing, a Jones Act employer providing marine transportation throughout the inland waterways of the United States.
Luckily, no one was injured in the collision and an investigation has been launched.