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New
Orleans, Louisiana Oil Spill (Tanker Tintomara Collision with Barge DM932)
On July 23, 2008, a tanker and barge collided in the Mississippi River near downtown New Orleans, Louisiana. The barge was reported to be "ripped in half," discharging its entire contents — over 9,000 barrels (380,000 gallons) of No. 6 fuel oil (600KB pdf). The release necessitated the closure of more than 80 miles of river to commercial shipping and recreational boating. The river, shorelines, and adjacent wetlands were impacted in much of the area. This incident represents a significant threat to fish, wildlife, and habitat quality. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) Environmental Contaminant Program and National Wildlife Refuge System personnel responded to the incident. Salvage Operations, Dredging and Cleanup Information Fish and Wildlife Service Activities: The Members of the Service's Southeast Region Spill Response Regional Strike Team are on-site in the Incident Command Center (ICC) in Belle Chasse and participating in field-based operations on the Mississippi River in New Orleans and downstream areas of St. Bernard Parish and Plaquemines Parish.
Completed. After many delays, the barge was cut into two pieces and removed on Saturday and Sunday (August 9th and 10th). The bow section was lifted out of the water and cut to remove on Saturday. The remaining two-thirds of the barge was lifted on Sunday, eliminating the threat of additional releases of oil from this incident. A large amount of additional (fresh) oil was released when the bow section of the barge was lifted and cut on Saturday. No estimates were made of the release but aerial views showed a significant amount of oil escaped the flotilla of booms and skimmer vessels that were staged downstream of the barge lift operations. The new release of oil increased the risk of wildlife oiling as well. There was only a minor release of oil from salvage operations on Sunday. The potential for the non-retrieval of loose cellulose-based sorbents to adversely affect Federally-listed threatened and endangered species was raised as an issue of potential concern by the Unified Command. In response to this concern, the Federal On-Scene Commander (FOSC; USCG Commander Krammer) has expressed intent to consult with FWS pursuant to Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act for the use of these products. Staff of the Louisiana Field Office provided a rapid review of the proposed action and provided valuable input to its proposed use. The USCG is expected to submit a formal request for concurrence early next week. Early engagement and rapid action by the Louisiana Field Office has ensured that endangered species concerns will not delay emergency response actions. Dredging and Ship Traffic The Mississippi river is regularly dredged to allow ships to navigate the channels at the river's juncture with the Gulf of Mexico (Learn more about dredging.) However, during routine dredging operations on Tuesday, July 29, the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) determined that oil from the spill had mixed with river sediments. Before this discovery, the dredges had been dumping sediment in marsh restoration areas on Delta National Wildlife Refuge (Delta NWR). Concern that the dredge material may cause ecological harm led to a temporary halting of dredge disposal while dredge material was tested and alternative disposal locations considered. The test results of the dredge samples collected by National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the first hopper dredge were all below the Louisiana Risk Evaluation Corrective Action Process (RECAP) standards. RECAP establishes the Department's minimum remediation (cleanup) standards. Because the samples were below RECAP standards, the dredge does not require remediation. The sample results from the second hopper dredge were below the RECAP standards and the Corps disposed of the dredged material in Southwest Pass. Due to the concerns with the remobilization of sunken oil on the river bottom, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) agreed to temporarily suspend dredging operations and to evaluate the need for additional dredging this season. Additional dredging would only be proposed where it is need to ensure safe shipping. Corps has determined that dredging is needed between river miles 4.0 and 4.8 downstream of the Head of the Passes and between river miles 2 and 3 above the Head of the Passes. Both locations are downstream of Cubit’s Gap, which is a primary river access point for Delta National Wildlife Refuge. The Unified Command has provided boats and personnel to monitor dredging operations. Containment boom has been staged in the lower river should it be needed. Cleanup The cleanup of the oiled shorelines remains the primary focus of the response. Through Thursday (8/21/08), approximately 161 miles of shoreline (81 percent of the potentially impacted area) have been cleaned and/or recommended for no further action. Active cleanup of gross contamination continues on 37 miles of shoreline. A total of 1,593 people remain active in response efforts. The cleaning of oiled riprap remains the most significant response challenge. Riprap along approximately 26 miles of river shoreline will likely require some level of cleanup, with intensive cleanup likely needed on approximately 12 miles. With the approval of the Region VI Regional Response Team (RRT), the Unified Command (UC) is proceeding with plans to apply a loose cellulose-based sorbent on areas where “tacky” oiled surfaces remain following the removal of all accessible oil and oiled materials in riprapped areas. Once applied, the free sorbents would not be retrieved. These materials are intended to coat tacky surface to reduce wildlife contact and incidental oiling. It is also hoped that the natural material will also promote a more rapid degradation of remaining oil. Impacted riprap areas are being surveyed on Saturday and Sunday (8/23-24/08) to identify exact locations where it will be used and to better estimate the volume of sorbent needed. Bagasse, a fine organic material generated during the processing of sugar cane, was selected as the sorbent. This material is cost effective and locally available. The operational plan for application will be completed on Monday (8/25/08). Implementation of the plan should follow on Tuesday or Wednesday. The potential for the non-retrieval of loose cellulose-based sorbents to adversely affect Federally-listed threatened and endangered species was raised as an issue of potential concern by the Unified Command. In response to this concern, the Federal On-Scene Commander (FOSC; USCG Commander Krammer) has expressed intent to consult with FWS pursuant to Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act for the use of these products. Staff of the Louisiana Field Office provided a rapid review of the proposed action and provided valuable input to its proposed use. The USCG is expected to submit a formal request for concurrence early next week. Early engagement and rapid action by the Louisiana Field Office has ensured that endangered species concerns will not delay emergency response actions. Critical Emerging Issues Dredging issues continue to be a hot topic for the Unified Command. Wildlife Group personnel will continue to provide technical assistance on impacts of dredging activities t trust resources and will coordinate efforts with Delta Refuge staff. Residual oil in riprap shorelines remains the biggest operational challenge. No clean methods have been effective at removing pooled oil in crevices between riprap bounders. The Environmental Unit is now recommending that some type of organic material be used to coat the remaining pooled oil within riprap to reduce the threat of physical contact to wildlife. Although the oil is weathering rapidly, the oil will remain tacky to fur and feathers. Addition of any material to the environment will require Regional Response Team (RRT) approval. Service input into this recommendation will be essential. All remaining protection boom (15,000 feet) at Delta National Wildlife Refuge is scheduled to be removed Monday, August 18, eliminating the risk of Tropical Storm Fay scattering boom all over the Refuge. Wildlife Group personnel will coordinate boom removal with Refuge staff and make recommendations to the Unified Command that will be protective of Refuge resources. Links:
Additional Information
Unified Command is developing a Hurricane Contingency Plan in preparation for the arrival of Tropical Storm Fay. The predicted storm path is shifting to the west, causing additional concern for oil spill operations. A decision will be made by the end of Monday (8-18-08) to suspend operations.
Approximately 140,000 gallons of an oily water mix have been recovered from the river and 525 barrels of black oil/3,745 cubic yards of oily debris removed thus far during land-based clean-up operations.
Clean-up operations were suspended due to Tropical Storm Edouard. Five to seven foot seas were reported, river conditions were difficult, and the lower part of Plaquemines Parish was under a tropical storm warning. Stage/Elevations of the Mississippi River increased. Approximately 140,000 gallons of an oily water mix have been recovered from the river and 474 barrels of black oil/3,120 cubic yards of oily debris removed during land-based clean-up operations.
Ship traffic is increasing and a major concern is the release of contained product at boom locations within the active clean-up zones. Patchy, light silver sheening was observed in the Mississippi River, near RM 52.0. Silver sheen from clean-up operations were noted near RM 62.0. There are sporadic releases of black oil streamers and heavy sheen in the river from the sunken barge and behind the High Volume Open Sea Skimmer (HOSS) barge deployed downstream of the accident area. A significant amount of #6 fuel oil remains on the barge.
Over 13 miles of hard and absorbent booms have been placed within the river and adjacent habitats at various locations to contain/capture as much of the released product as possible. Oil skimmers have been deployed to recover the oil. All impacted vessels are actively undergoing cleaning and decontamination. Ship traffic is increasing and a major concern is the release of contained product at boom locations within the active clean-up zones. Tar patties were observed at RM 37 and rainbow sheening was observed at Head of Passes between RM 5.0 and RM 10.0. Contained oil may be being released by ship wakes in areas of active clean-up operations or re-suspended from sediments from deep-draft vessels.
The Department of Homeland Security’s National Operations Center reports that the Mississippi River is closed from mile marker 98 to the Southwest Pass Sea Buoy, in the Gulf of Mexico. Approximately 156 deep draft vessels and 49 tug/barge combinations have been affected by the closure. The Coast Guard is allowing limited and highly coordinated movement of river traffic. Four decontamination stations have been established to clean vessels that have been oiled as they leave the current spill zone. Twenty three deep draft vessels have proceeded through decontamination stations; five of these vessels are inbound and 18 are outbound. Nearly 150,000 feet of boom has been deployed to protect environmentally and economically sensitive areas. An estimated 53,466 gallons of oil and water mix has been recovered, and 2,520 gallons of oil are estimated to have evaporated. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports on the incident indicate that the barge is still adjacent to the Crescent City Connection Bridge in New Orleans. Efforts continue to survey and implement the plan to stabilize the barge in place to allow lightering (removal) of any residual oil. Once the pollution threat is removed, the barge will be salvaged. The spilled oil is mostly stranded near the downtown piers and downstream shorelines along 50 miles of the river. Sheens and observed tar patties extend even further. Significant riverine and wetland habitats (e.g., willow swamps) have been impacted by the release. As the oil weathers (e.g., changes chemically and physically) and contacts the high sediment loading of the Mississippi River, some of the oil is thought lost to the river as non-floating oil fragments and small tarballs. Some of the oil initially trapped in batture areas escaped due in part to dropping river levels. Shoreline cleanup is progressing, but there is much work to be done. The Coast Guard has stated that cleanup safety and reopening the river to commercial traffic will be balanced in a manner to accomplish both goals. | |||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: September 24, 2008 | ||||||||||||||||
