Marine Link
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
SUBSCRIBE

Texas City Dike News

06 Jun 2014

Texas City Y Marine Casualty Hearing Closes: Results Later

Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board investigators have closed a formal hearing in Galveston, that was held to gather facts that led to a March 22, 2014 collision and subsequent 168,000 gallon oil spill near the Texas City Dike. The purpose of the Coast Guard marine casualty investigation and formal board hearing is to examine the causes of a marine casualty, make recommendations to help avoid a similar incident, improve overall maritime transportation safety, and promote safety of life and property at sea. Investigators heard from the captains of both the tug Miss Susan and the bulk carrier Summer Wind,  the two vessels that collided…

29 May 2014

Texas City Y Collision: Formal Casualty Hearing Notified

The US Coast Guard informs that in conjunction with the National Transportation Safety Board, it will begin a formal hearing at the Galveston County Criminal Justice Center Monday, June 2, 2014 at 1 p.m. On March 22, 2014, the Summer Wind was en route to the Port of Houston when it collided with a barge owned by Kirby Inland Marine, which was being towed by the tugboat Miss Susan and was headed from the Port of Texas City to the Intracoastal Waterway along the Bolivar Peninsula. The vessels collided near the tip of the Texas City Dike, in an area known as the Texas City Y, resulting in the spillage from the barge of 168,000 gallons of fuel oil into the water.

28 Mar 2014

Texas City Port Open to All Traffic, Response Continues

The Captain of the Port of Houston/Galveston has opened the bay to all traffic Thursday after multiple cleanup assessments and input from the Texas Department of State Health Services. A current Broadcast Notice to Mariners instructs all boaters that the safety zone remains in affect, however all restrictions are lifted except to transit using safe distance and minimum safe speeds in the vicinity of any oil spill response or salvage operations and to avoid all areas of sheening or visible oil. If any oil is sighted, boaters should report it to the National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802. While all recreational activities, including swimming is open, the DSHS does advise people not to swim in areas where they can see oil.

26 Mar 2014

Cleanup Efforts Ramp up in Texas City

The U.S. Coast Guard is ramping up efforts to clean oil in the Ports of Texas City and Galveston Wednesday, as expected afternoon weather will likely hinder or cease operations due to safety concerns for responders. Storms may keep responders from being able to safely collect oil on the water and along the shoreline. Response efforts will focus heavily on cleaning Pelican Island and north to the Texas City Dike until weather makes operations too hazardous for responders. The weather is also expected to flush out pockets of oil that were unreachable to responders over the past few days. Once weather abates, responders will be re-assessing the area to update cleanup plans for immediate action.

25 Mar 2014

Dredging Permits for Bayport & Barbours Cut Expected Soon

Port of Houston logo

Following the recent meeting of the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority, the following news items  of note were released. The Port Commission approved a $68 million construction contract with Orion Construction L.P. for Bayport and Barbours Cut channel improvements. These significant dredging projects will begin, following issuance of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permits and approval of its assumption of maintenance of the channels, Executive Director Roger Guenther reported.

25 Mar 2014

Texas City "Y" incident: Latest Update

Entrance to Texas City Dike: Photo in public domain

The Coast Guard informs that it continues clean up operations in the Port of Houston/Galveston after having authorized limited marine traffic in the safety zone for commercial ship traffic, Tuesday. The Port Coordination Team is prioritizing ships for transit through the channel. Barges are being allowed to transit through the Houston Ship Channel and on the Intracoastal Waterway, after assessment teams deemed the channel clear. Cleanup efforts focused heavily on the environmentally sensitive lagoon area of East Beach Tuesday.

25 Mar 2014

Limited Traffic Authorized at Port of Houston

USCG photo

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) has authorized limited marine traffic in the safety zone in the Port of Houston/Galveston for commercial ship traffic, Tuesday. Cleanup operations are still ongoing; however ships are being prioritized for transit by the Port Coordination Team. The USCG said barges are allowed to transit through the Houston Ship Channel and on the Intracoastal Waterway, after assessment teams deemed the channel clear. "The cleanup operations progress is to the point…

24 Mar 2014

Latest Texas City 'Y' Incident News: Port of Houston Remains Closed

File photo CCL

The Port of Houston remains closed as the Unified Command continues to assess the situation with oil in the channel to determine when vessel traffic can resume, advises the US Coast Guard. There are 46 outbound vessels and 47 inbound vessels in the queue for transit in the Port of Houston. The Port of Texas City has 5 inbound and 3 outbound vessels in the queue awaiting transit. Once the channel has been determined safe to navigate, and transiting vessels will not spread oil contaminants, a prioritization list will be established to determine the entry order of vessels.

24 Mar 2014

Collision, Spill Forces Houston Channel Closure

A barge loaded with marine fuel oil sits partially submerged in the Houston Ship Channel, March 22, 2014. The bulk carrier Summer Wind, reported a collision between the Summer Wind and a barge, containing 924,000 gallons of fuel oil, towed by the motor vessel Miss Susan. (USCG photo)

Cleanup continues in response to an oil spill in the Houston Ship Channel that resulted in the release of approximately 168,000 gallons of bunker fuel oil. On March 22, 2014, the M/V Summer Wind and Kirby Barge 27706 collided in the Houston Ship Channel in the vicinity LT 26 near the "Texas City Y", the Houston-Galveston Port Community said in an announcement. The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) announced that Unified Command is working closely with the Vessel Traffic Service, paired with assessments of the Houston Ship Channel, to determine when partial vessel traffic can resume.

23 Mar 2014

Houston Ship Channel Restricted for Oil Spill Recovery, Tankbarge Salvage

Image credit USCG

Part of the Houston Ship Channel has been closed to marine traffic to enable response operations following the recent collision between UTV MISS SUSAN and the bulk carrier M/V SUMMER WIND approximately 100 yards off the Texas City Dike, near lights 25/26 which led to the partial sinking of the Kirby Marine tank barge. Coast Guard inform that progress continued throughout the day Sunday in response to a bunker fuel spill in the Houston Ship Channel that resulted in the release of approximately 168,000 gallons of product.

23 Mar 2014

Houston Ship Channel Tankbarge: Incident Update

The partially submerged barge: Photo credit USCG

The Coast Guard informs that response efforts by the Unified Command to contain oil leaking from the partially submerged Kirby Marine tank barge continue Saturday overnight. Four skimming vessels remain on-scene to continue recovering spilled bunker fuel oil. Officials with the unified command, who are overseeing the spill containment and recovery efforts, anticipate the ability to fully reactivate their efforts beginning at first light Sunday. An additional 20 response vessels are staged and are prepared to resume operations early on Sunday.

Subscribe for
Maritime Reporter E-News

Maritime Reporter E-News is the maritime industry's largest circulation and most authoritative ENews Service, delivered to your Email five times per week