Released May 13, 2019 | SUGAR LAND
en
The Houston Ship Channel was reopened as of Sunday following a barge collision on Friday that resulted in an estimated 8,000-9,000-barrel gasoline-blend spill.
The channel was closed after the tanker Genesis River, carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG), collided with the tug boat "Voyager," which was towing two barges, according to the Harris County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management (HCOHSEM). One barge was punctured, spilling 8,000-9,000 barrels of gasoline reformate into the channel. The other barge was capsized. The barges were secured and responders placed 1,600 feet of boom around the barges. Additional boom was deployed to protect environmentally sensitive areas along the bay.
Officials estimated it would take up to two days to remove the fuel from the cargo tanks of the vessels involved in the collision, according to the Houston Chronicle. The barges are owned by Kirby Inland Marine.
The channel was closed after the tanker Genesis River, carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG), collided with the tug boat "Voyager," which was towing two barges, according to the Harris County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management (HCOHSEM). One barge was punctured, spilling 8,000-9,000 barrels of gasoline reformate into the channel. The other barge was capsized. The barges were secured and responders placed 1,600 feet of boom around the barges. Additional boom was deployed to protect environmentally sensitive areas along the bay.
Officials estimated it would take up to two days to remove the fuel from the cargo tanks of the vessels involved in the collision, according to the Houston Chronicle. The barges are owned by Kirby Inland Marine.
