14 DAY TRIAL // This past weekend, a barge whose carrying capacity was one of 924,000 gallons collided with a ship in the Houston Ship Channel connecting Houston-area terminals to the Gulf of Mexico.
The result was that some 168,000 gallons of marine shipping oil of a fairly thick consistency spilled into nearby waters, and authorities were left with no choice except close the Houston Ship Channel.
Information shared with the public says that the collision and its subsequent spill occurred on Saturday afternoon. For the time being, it is unclear how and why the barge and the ship ran into one another.
Authorities moved to close the Houston Ship Channel to marine traffic on the same day that the spill occurred, media reports inform.
It remained closed on Sunday, and several dozen vessels were thus kept from moving between the Gulf of Mexico and Galveston Bay, RT informs. Of these vessels, three were cruise ships.
Presently, it is unclear when exactly the Houston Ship Channel will reopen. However, word has it that authorities are working on a plan to make it possible for ships to pass through the area one by one.
On Sunday, the day following the spill, whatever oil remained in the barge's tank in the aftermath of this incident was transferred in other containers.
At that time, efforts were being made to transport it out of the area, and thus ensure that no more marine shipping oil would spill in these United States waters.
Think Progress reports that the oil that leaked from the barge involved in this incident is dubbed RMG 380. This type of fuel oil is said not to evaporate all that easily and to be fairly persistent.
Consequently, Coast Guard officials and other specialists are worried about how this spill will affect marine ecosystems and wildlife in the area.
More so given the fact that the spill occurred at a time when peak shorebird migration season was looming, and both sides of the Houston Ship Channel constitute key bird habitats.
Besides, several specialists are now keeping tabs on whatever gases that the spill might emit and are looking to make sure that the incident will not affect the health of people and workers in the region.
This is because exposure to RMG 380 has been documented to cause irritation of the respiratory tract, the eyes or the skin, the same source details.
Despite the fact that floating barriers have been set in place around the barge involved in the collision that led to this spill, the marine shipping oil is expected to continue to spread in the hours to come.