(AmericanProsperity.com) – A three-hundred-foot barge hit a bridge in Galveston, Texas which stopped traffic and allegedly released over two thousand gallons of oil into the water. The barge apparently broke loose and slipped into the bridge, and while no one was injured, there was a lot of damage.
The exact amount of oil that was spilled into the water is still unknown, but Capt. Keith Donohue of the U.S. Coast Guard said that officials are “pretty confident there was much less oil introduced to the water than we initially estimated.”
“We’re estimating between one thousand or two thousand gallons, but we will not have details on that until we get a final survey from the vessel,” he said. “We have over two hundred people actively working on this response right now.”
He stated that there was oil recovered from the water as well as from the top of the barge where it did not enter the water. The type of oil that was spilled into the water was vacuum gas oil, which is described as “darkly colored, thick waxy liquid with a heavy fuel oil odor.”
The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation said “If released, prevent entry into ditches, sewers, and waterways. Small amounts of this product, if aspirated into the lungs, may cause mild to severe pulmonary injury.” It continued, “This product may be irritating to the eyes, skin, and respiratory system.”
Some of the common symptoms that someone exposed might experience are blurred vision, slurred speech, dizziness, headaches, and sleepiness. It’s also said to potentially cause skin cancer, and it’s considered environmentally toxic as well.
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