Two oil barges hit a bridge on the Mississippi river at Vicksburg - has the low level of the river made navigation unduly risky ?

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/27/us-usa-mississippi-oil-idUSBRE90Q0K520130127

(Reuters) - Two oil barges pushed by a tugboat slammed into a railroad bridge in Vicksburg, Mississippi, on Sunday, causing one to leak crude oil into the Mississippi River, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

Officials used an "absorbent boom" to contain the undetermined amount of oil that leaked into the river after the collision, which occurred shortly after midnight and damaged both barges, Lieutenant Ryan Gomez said. The barge that is leaking was holding 80,000 gallons of light crude oil, he said.

"A towing vessel was pushing two barges side-by-side and they struck one of the Vicksburg railroad bridge piers," Gomez said.

No one was injured in the accident. Federal, state and local officials, as well as the industry's Oil Spill Response Organization, were on the scene.

Gomez said he did not have information about any of the companies involved in the oil transport.

The barges were pushed up against the river bank while a team at the scene decided how to clean up the spill, he said.

http://www.knoe.com/story/20717296/coast-guard-barge-leaking-oil-in-mississippi-river

Coast Guard: Damaged barge leaking oil in Mississippi River

Posted: Jan 27, 2013 12:53 PM ESTUpdated: Jan 27, 2013 8:38 PM EST

Posted By Ty Russell, Reporter - email

 

VICKSBURG, Miss (KNOE 8 News) - The United States Coast Guard in Mississippi has a command center set up along the shore of the Mississippi River.

Currently guardsmen are aiming to contain oil leaking from a damaged barge. it contained about 80, 000 gallons of crude oil in it. 

The coast guard says at around 1 o'clock Sunday morning, a vessel dragging two barges struck the Vicksburg Railroad Bridge.

Both barges are heavily damaged, according to a spokesperson. 

It's unknown how much oil is leaking in the Mississippi River. To help contain the crude, guardsmen have placed booms near the area of impact.

http://enenews.com/oil-barges-slam-bridge-mississippi-river-both-heavily-damaged-sheen-reported-3-miles-away-leaking-sunday-evening-video

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AP:

[...] an oily sheen was reported as far as three miles downriver of Vicksburg after the 1:12 a.m. accident, said Lt. Ryan Gomez of the Coast Guard’s office in Memphis, Tenn.

[...] The first barge was still leaking Sunday evening, and emergency workers set out booms to absorb and contain the oil, Gomez said. [...]

KNOE New Transcript:

Now the Coast Guard is working to repair a gash in one of the barges that’s leaking oil.

Herman Smith, Vicksburg official: It’s reported there’s a 24-foot gash in the side of the barge.