Barge full of crude oil sinks into end of Texas City Dike

[TexasTowelie]

Source: Houston Chronicle

A barge and a ship have collided near the end of the Texas City dike, the city announced Saturday afternoon.

"The dike and all parks on the water are closed until further notice," the announcement from Texas City Emergency Management said. "No action is required at this time other than to stay away from the area until advised it is safe."

The barge and ship collided about 2:30 p.m., Texas City Homeland Security Director Bruce Clawson told The Galveston County Daily News.

The barge was carrying about 22,000 gallons of oil and was leaking, Clawson told The Daily News, but it was unknown how much oil had leaked into Galveston Bay.

Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/texas/article/Texas-City-dike-closed-after-barge-and-ship-5340977.php?cmpid=bna&cmpid=bna

[dotymed]

1. A solar or wind

energy leak would be much healthier.

FUCK CORPORATE GOVERNMENT!!!

[fbc]

10. Blame environmentalists

and their opposition to safe nuclear power.

Sorry, I just watched Pandora's Promise on Netflix.

[blackspade]

17. Safe nuclear power is like clean coal power.

Neither exist

[meanit]

24. Safe Nuclear power?

Like Fukushima safe?

You're kidding, right?

[fbc]

26. How many people have died from Fukushima so far?

As far as I can tell, so far the count is zero. And this is from a supposedly worst case scenario accident.

If the democratic party wants to be the thinking person's party, it needs to re-examine its stance on nuclear power. It is hypocritical to mock republicans for their refusal to accept scientific consensus on global warming while we ignore scientific opinion on nuclear power.

[hollysmom]

29. read a little

Fukushima’s appalling death toll

As the third anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake approaches, new studies of the ongoing effects of the triple disaster of earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown show that the disaster is far from over.

The latest report from Fukushima revealed that more people have died from stress-related illnesses and other maladies after the disaster than from injuries directly linked to the disaster. The report compiled by prefectural authorities and local police found that the deaths of 1,656 people in Fukushima Prefecture fall into the former category. That figure surpasses the 1,607 people who died from disaster-related injuries. Another 434 people have died since 3/11 in Iwate Prefecture and 879 in Miyagi Prefecture. These indirect causes are just as deadly as the direct causes, and are likely to last much longer unless the central government takes action.

In another report, the first of its kind since the disaster, the lifetime risk of cancer for young children was found to have increased because of exposure to radiation. While the increase was relatively small — a mere 1.06 percent in areas close to the crippled nuclear plant — the results, which were published in the U.S. science journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, were the first projections of the harmful effects from exposure to radiation released by the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant.

ETA - there are no reports of people dying from radiation poisoning's now at the company, but I don't really trust them considering how often the company has lied and that they turned over the clean up to gangsters with slave labor.
still people have died due to the evacuation, does that not count? they would not have had to evacuate if it were a solar plant, they would not have had to evacuate so many if it were an oil burning plant. Not to mention the devastation to agriculture when a small country loses so much land. Then you have to consider how long it took for them to admit the cow's milk had radiation and how they tried to sell the food that had radiation and probably still are - then you have to consider the fish.... and the crap coming to the west coast of US. It is not over yet, so you can't say for sure how many have died because of the accident, please don't pull that no one crap.

[fbc]

32. Stress-related deaths? c'mon

You know there was an earthquake and a tsunami too right? While "stress-related deaths" are already dubious, blaming them on the reactor meltdown and not the natural disasters that caused it really makes no sense.

Here's an article that puts the current death toll at 5: http://asiancorrespondent.com/53036/the-fukushima-death-toll/

Note that none of the deaths are related to radiation, but were industrial accidents during the clean-up process.

[hollysmom]

34. I read that and disagree because

1) it is taking reported deaths and we have heard of the radiation exposures for the workers and how some were rushed to the hospital, and we never heard about them again. The company has bee caught about lying about the amount of radiation in the water and in the few people who were let out of working at Fukushima, there were reports of people disappearing.

But even more radiation poisoning does not kill you like a steam pipe explosion, yes people died because of the flood and earthquake, but that is not what we are talking about here. Radiation can take days to kill you for extreme exposure or years for lower exposure. What kinds of deaths are the really reporting.
1) workers over exposed - I don't think we have the figures on this, I think Japan is hiding it as much as the company at this point.
2) farmers in surrounding areas. Yes being moved kills, not having a job or possessions kills. the displacement would not have happened to this extent for other kinds of power companies. You may not accept it, but it is something that happens.
3) radiation clearly hit Tokyo after 3/11 and food with high radiation counts were sold immediately after the accident. Was there anything that happened? will take years and may never know
4) an increased cancer rate can not be discounted now or even in the future, it will take decades to know this. It obviously effected people with Chernobyl and will affect people here, especially with the constant water spills and contamination of fish. Cant undo it by wishing. Will take a longtime to see if rates increase.

Basically, you can't say only immediate deaths count, because radiation does not work like that.

[Oakenshield]

31. With respect, you need to put a sock in it.

At least 70 of our sailors from the USS Ronald Reagan, which assisted with the Fukushima clean-up, have been suffering from radiation sickness and even cancer.

[arcane1]

27. Yes, environmentalists are to blame for the lack of solar and wind power.

Where do people come up with this nonsense?

[fbc]

28. The manufacturing of solar panels is not environmentally friendly.

And global warming can not be solved by solar and wind alone.

[arcane1]

30. Indeed, it is also going to require a considerable reduction in energy consumption

But nobody likes to talk about that.

[fbc]

33. I'll talk about it: it is impossible.

The population of the world is increasing. Regardless of any steps we take to reduce energy consumption, it will continue to increase.

It's something we should do, to slow the rate at which energy consumption increases, but certainly not something that is going to decrease overall energy consumption nor stop climate change.

[arcane1]

36. All bubbles burst eventually, whether done voluntarily or not.

It's a finite planet with finite resources. There is no possibility of indefinite growth, whether in population or in the consumption of energy, food, and water.

The impossible part is whether we do something about it voluntarily. That will never happen, so it will be done to us instead.

[hollysmom]

35. I am rather partial to thermal power. n/t

[OffWithTheirHeads]

37. Enjoy your stay!

[Faryn Balyncd]

2. The Galveston Daily News say 924,000 gallons were on the sunken barge...

Interestingly, the Chronicle, which quotes the Daily News says 22,000 gallons, but the Daily News gives a different story:

The Houston Ship Channel from the Intracoastal Waterway is closed because of the collision, the U.S. Coast Guard said....The two vessels collided at about 12:30 p.m. near the end of the dike, Texas City Homeland Security director Bruce Clawson said....The barge, was being moved by the tugboat Miss Susan from Texas City to the waterway along the Bolivar Peninsula, the Coast Guard said.

The barge carrying about 924,000 gallons of bunker oil is leaking, Clawson said. It was not confirmed how much of the oil had leaked into Galveston Bay....The barge, owned by Kirby Inland Marine, partially sank, Clawson said. The ship it collided with "left the area," he said. A U.S. Coast Guard spokesman told KHOU-TV the ship is a 585-foot-long bulk carrier ship called "Summer Wind."

Bunker oil or bunker fuel is a heavy crude and highly polluting oil that is also referred to bottom of the barrel oil.
'

http://www.galvestondailynews.com/free/article_6340123e-b1fc-11e3-987d-0017a43b2370.html

So the Houston Chronicle, which gets its quotes from Clawson via the Daily News:

(1.) downsizes the amount of oil on the barge from 924,000 gallons to 22,000 gallons,

(2.) fails to mention that the oil is an especially dirty, highly polluting, "bottom of the barrel" oil, &

(3.) finally, does not even mention that the entire Houston Ship Channel inland of the Intecoastal Canal has been closed.

[progressoid]

7. I think the Chronicle confused gallons with barrels.

22,000 barrels. 924,000 gallons.

[Faryn Balyncd]

8. Correct...But why would Chronicle not report closure of Houston Ship Channel?

[TexasTowelie]

14. Thank you for checking the report in the Galveston newspaper.

Normally I try to go to the original publication to get the most local story; however, I also know that the Galveston Daily News has a paywall and might be questioned more as a mainstream news source so I didn't check.

The Houston Chronicle certainly missed the boat by not getting the gallons to barrels conversion correct, not indicating the type of crude oil and failing to mention the close of the Houston Ship Channel. Geez Louise!

[TexasTowelie]

16. BTW, is it a hit-and-run when the ship keeps sailing away? nt

[AngryDem001]

3. I have a way to solve all these spills!

LESS GUBMINT REGULATIONS!!! The oil companies will police themselves while the gubmint gives 'em more tax breaks!

[truthisfreedom]

4. 22,000 BARRELS. I see these faked numbers

So often on the initial press releases, plausible denial errors. Fuckers.

[truthisfreedom]

5. 42 gallons per barrel. 924,000 gallons.

[2naSalit]

18. But

22,000 sounds less offensive/drastic than 924,000. It's obvious why they chose to use that figure instead... appearance.

[DemoTex]

6. Texas City Dike: My all-time favorite Hobie Cat racing location!

The dike keeps the bay waves down (with a S or SW wind), but the wind still rips. Smooth water, awesome winds!

[Faryn Balyncd]

9. This potentially could be a significant spill.

[Doctor_J]

21. Meh. A measly million gallons

Calling Ted Cruz - photo op available

[Tx4obama]

11. Kick n/t

[Dustlawyer]

12. There goes one of my favorite fishing/swimming places in the world!

They are in a race to destroy the environment!

[Judi Lynn]

13. Such sad news. Jeez. n/t

[tecelote]

15. In other news...

Tourist income plummets for Galveston.

[jwirr]

19. No action is required at this time?

[TexasTowelie]

20. Probably referring to no evacuations are necessary. nt

[KansDem]

25. "...other than to stay away from the area until advised it is safe."

And who determines it's safe? The corporatists?

Just like West Virginia--"Okay, folks! It's all over! Safe to home now!...[font size="1"]except for pregnant women and children."[font size="2"]

[Tx4obama]

22. Additional article on the link below

Crews try to contain oil spill in Galveston Bay

Mar. 22, 2014 11:09 PM EDT

-snip-

Booms were brought in to try to contain the spill, which the Coast Guard said was reported at around 12:30 p.m. by the captain of the 585-foot ship, Summer Wind. Coast Guard Lt. j.g. Kristopher Kidd said the spill hadn't been contained as of 10 p.m., and that the collision was still being investigated.

The ship collided with a barge carrying 924,000 gallons of marine fuel oil, also known as special bunker, that was being towed by the vessel Miss Susan, the Coast Guard said. It didn't give an estimate of how much fuel had spilled into the bay, but there was a visible sheen of oil at the scene.

Officials believe only one of the barge's tanks was breached, but that tank had a capacity of 168,000 gallons.

"A large amount of that has been discharged," Kidd said. He said a plan was being developed to remove the remaining oil from the barge, but the removal had not begun.

The barge was resting on the bottom of the channel, with part of it submerged. He said boom was being set up in the water to protect environmentally-sensitive areas and that people would be working through the night with infrared cameras to locate and skim the oil.

-snip-

Full article here: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/barge-leaking-oil-galveston-bay-after-collision

[Faryn Balyncd]

23. Chronicle now reports that 168,000 gallons may have already spilled :

. . . As much as 168,000 gallons of thick shipping fuel may have spilled into Galveston Bay after a ship and barge collided near the Texas City dike Saturday afternoon, sparking closures on the waterway and prompting a massive cleanup effort. Dozens of responders joined a fast-growing containment effort that will kick into higher gear as the sun rises.

"This is an extremely serious spill," said Capt. Brian Penoyer of the U.S. Coast Guard. "It is a persistent oil."

Workers surrounded the damaged barge with a 600-foot containment boom Saturday night. They also laid a protective boom at the ecologically critical Big Reef at the end of Galveston Island and Little Pelican Island. They closed a tidal gate where Moses Lake connects with Galveston Bay, said Greg Pollock, deputy commissioner of the oil spill prevention response program of the Texas General Land Office. Fog and darkness hampered clean-up efforts Saturday.


www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Texas-City-dike-closed-after-barge-and-ship-5341213.php?cmpid=hpbn

Addendum: Looks like the article posted in Reply #22 above has more complete info about the 168,000 gallon tank, etc.