Officials are monitoring an oil spill in Texas waterways caused by the partial collapse of a bridge struck by a barge, but the source of the spill has been isolated, according to the United States Coast Guard.
The 321-foot barge, MMLP 321, collided with a pillar on the railroad portion of the Pelican Island Causeway on Wednesday morning, causing oil aboard the vessel to flow into Galveston Bay, officials said. The span is the only bridge connecting Galveston, Texas, to nearby Pelican Island.
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Officials stated that engineers from the Texas Department of Transportation will assess the roadway to determine if it has sustained any damage. There were no injuries recorded.
The United States Coast Guard issued a statement on Wednesday stating that the barge was carrying 30,000 barrels of vacuum gas oil. It’s unclear how much oil leaked into the bay.
The United States Coast Guard is in charge of assessing the oil leak, determining its magnitude, and coordinating the cleanup effort. The Coast Guard issued a statement on Thursday, containing the source of the barge leak.
Oil on the water gave the bay’s aerial photography a sheen.
The Coast Guard said that they deployed a Coast Guard plane and drones Thursday morning to assess the scope of the oil spill. The Coast Guard also closed 6.5 miles of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, a vital maritime corridor in the region.
“The harmful consequences of oil are once again impacting our coastal communities, wildlife, and waters,” Joseph Gordon, campaign director for Oceana, an ocean conservation non-profit, stated in response to the leak. “Whether it’s spills at platforms like the Deepwater Horizon disaster or spills due to accidents during transport, oil and gas drilling plays a destructive role in fueling the climate crisis.”
Given the amount of oil on board the barge, the spill is unlikely to have long-term implications, according to Danny Reible, a professor of environmental engineering at Texas Tech University.
Reible predicted that cleanup crews would most likely use booms and collectors to help contain the leak.
The Texas General Land Office, the state’s on-scene coordinator for the accident, is working with various federal, state, and local officials to guarantee the safety of the public and responders, General Land Office Commissioner Dawn Buckingham told ABC News in an emailed statement.
“Other than safety, our top priorities include controlling the source of the pollution, containing and removing the spilled product from the water, re-establishing commerce, and protecting the natural resources of Texas,” added the statement.
Pelican Island is home to a huge shipyard, industrial buildings, and Texas A&M University’s Galveston campus. Despite last week’s commencement ceremonies and the end of spring semester classes, ABC Houston station KTRK reported that more than 200 people remained on the island and needed evacuation.
First responders assisted evacuations by letting automobiles cross the bridge one at a time, around 20 feet apart. Officials temporarily suspended evacuations to assess the bridge’s stability. Hours later, the bridge reopened for automobiles leaving Pelican Island, but no one was allowed to enter, according to KTRK.
As of 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Texas A&M students, faculty, and non-essential workers had left the island.
Officials say the bridge is still available for cars leaving Pelican Island and pedestrians going both ways.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed in Baltimore Harbor on March 26, killing six people in the collision.
