Diesel spill closes Mississippi River

[DogPoundPup]

Source: nola.com

A 12-mile stretch of the Mississippi River is closed this morning after a tugboat collided with an tanker, causing thousands of barrels of diesel oil on a barge to spill into the waterway.

No injuries were reported in the crash, according to Coast Guard Petty Officer Jaclyn Young. But morning commuters in the French Quarter and other parts of the city should expect a heavy smell of fuel in the air.

Residents in Algiers, Gretna, St. Bernard Parish and Plaquemines Parish are also being asked to conserve water, as water intakes for those communities were closed to prevent contamination of the drinking water supply. The water flowing through the tap is from reserve supplies, which could run in many areas out by afternoon or early evening, officials said.

The barge was carrying 10,000 barrels of diesel fuel, and about 9,000 barrels spilled into the river, said Rodney Mallet, the press secretary for the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. A DEQ contractor has set up "boom" boats to protect local water intakes and marsh areas, a typical cleanup measure, Mallet added.





Read more: http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2008/07/ap_collision_closes_mississipp.html

[fascisthunter]

1. Once Again....

[jus_the_facts]

2. Is there any wonder why the Gulf DEAD ZONE just keeps gettin' BIGGER...

:grr:

[WriteDown]

3. A tugboat?

Are we betting on drunk, no license or failed inspection?

[Quantess]

8. Are you trying to say that deregulation is bad?

How dare you, you commie.

[uppityperson]

4. 29 miles closed now, according to that article. pict here...Damn. k&r

[DogPoundPup]

7. Some of the comments @ link from people living in NO are heartbreaking

like this one...

Posted by cresman on 07/23/08 at 10:38AM

Iam sick, but what makes me even feel worse is seeing the river dowmtown, it is really discusting and makes you want to cry! Birds are dying and it's gross.

[merwin]

5. Perfect! As Colbert would say,

now the oil companies can just scoop up the oil instead of drilling for it! See? A solution to our energy crisis.

[uppityperson]

6. Another story. 419,000 gallons, Liberian-flagged tanker, styrene not leaking

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Collision_between_tug_tanker_closes_Mississippi_0723.html
(clip)
The double-hulled tanker Tintomara was loaded with about 4.2 million gallons (15.9 million liters) of biodiesel bound for Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and nearly 1.3 million gallons (4.9 million liters) of styrene bound for Hamburg, Germany, but was not leaking, said Michael Wilson, president of ship management company Laurin Maritime (America) Inc. in Houston. The company is a subsidiary of Goteborg, Sweden-based Laurin Maritime AB.

The Liberian-flagged tanker is owned by Whitefin Shipping Co. Ltd. of Gibraltar. The tanker had only minor damage, the management company said.

(clip)
Styrene is a colorless, sweet-smelling liquid used to make plastics and rubber, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

[Joanne98]

17. That's what I heard. Notice McCain canceled his visit.

Doesn't want the photo-op!

[Turbineguy]

18. MV Tintomara

http://exchange.dnv.com/Exchange/Main.aspx?EXTool=Vessel&VesselID=22838


Flag: Liberia Signal Letters: A8AR7
Port: MONROVIA

Owner: Whitefin Shipping Co. Limited GT (ITC 69): 26,914
(111572) NT (ITC 69): 14,288
Manager: Laurin Maritime (America) Inc. DWT: 46,764
(191299) (LRF / Company identification no: 1624638)
DocHolder: Laurin Maritime (America) Inc.
(191299) (LRF / Company identification no: 1624638)
Yard: H.B. Trogir Shipyard d.o.o.(114340) Year of Build: 2003
Type: 106 - Tanker for Chemicals & Oil Products Sister Vessels

Class Notation: 1A1 Tanker for Chemicals and Oil Products ESP E0 CCO NAUT-AW LCS-SID VCS-2 HL(1.6 in tanks 1,3,5,7) COAT-2 PLUS-2 ETC NAUTICUS(Newbuilding)
Register Information: Ship type 2, a2,b3,c3,f2,v3,str 0.05 ERS
Other DNV Services: ERS

[DogPoundPup]

19. Anyone seen any coverage of this oil slick on MSM?

I haven't. I made myself suffer through the evening news (with commercials presented by big oil) and laughed all the way through CNN and their silly coverage of the Texas storm. Gee, imagine...a status 2 hurricane coming on land along the coast. Gee, HAS THAT EVER HAPPENED BEFORE? :sarcasm:

[DogPoundPup]

9. McWar wants to steal some press time from Obama with a visit to an oil rig

"Weather permitting, McCain will helicopter from Louisiana to an oil rig in the Gulf Coast to make the case for expanded off-shore drilling... The GOP nominee will be joined by a small press pool of reporters and photographers on a trek sure to offer memorable images. Because of space constraints, Louisiana Gov. and veep prospect Bobby Jindal will not make the trip."

Aides hope the trip will steal some attention away from Sen. Barack Obama's big speech in Berlin on Thursday.
http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/07/23/mccain_plans_trip_to_oil_rig.html

[uppityperson]

11. elsewhere on DU it says MSNBC says he's canceling this trip.

Gee, I wonder why?

[tabasco]

15. Maybe they can put a "Mission Accomplished!" banner on the oil rig.

It would be perfect.

[robinlynne]

10. Didn't the republicans just say last week that oil drilling does not hurt the environment anymore?

That they have it all figured out now, oil is the new green?

[WriteDown]

12. Drilling doesn't look like the problem...

Basic transport seems to be tough though.

[robinlynne]

14. same difference. I suppose too much solar energy could cook a bird, but other than that....

[WriteDown]

16. The panels themselves are great...

the manufacturing process, not so much.

[Sgent]

13. All the rigs I'm familiar with

use pipelines -- not ships -- to transport.