Oil Spill Shuts Mississippi River

HOUSTON (Reuters) - A collision between a chemical tanker and a fuel barge on the Mississippi River spilled over 400,000 gallons of fuel oil and prompted the U.S. Coast Guard to close a 29-mile stretch of the waterway around New Orleans, a Coast Guard spokesman said.

The river remained closed between Mile Marker 99, near the Harvey Canal, and Mile Marker 70, downstream from New Orleans, as of 11 a.m. CDT.

Vessel traffic was halted after the 1:30 a.m. CDT collision in which the MV Tintomara cut in half an American Commercial Lines barge loaded with No. 6 fuel oil.

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Comments

[RTIII]

I find it insulting that the article is by-lined in HOUSTON - which isn't anywhere near the Mississippi. Why isn't this story from New Orleans itself? Why not pick up a headline from The Times Picayune?
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[tililek]

As if New Orleans hasn't suffered enough. Is FEMA going to do the clean-up? OR, maybe Blackwater?

[wadenelson1]

As long as I"m upstream WTF do I care?

Go ahead, Republicans. Ruin our environment. Turn America's air and water into China's poison.