Sunken Vessel Discharging Oil in West Virginia
Towboat Gate City has sunk and is reportedly discharging oil near mile marker 8 on the Big Sandy River near Butler, W.Va.
The vessel is discharging oil into the river “with a maximum potential of 5,000 gallons,” according to the U.S. Coast Guard, who said it received a report that the vessel had sunk at its mooring Wednesday morning.
A Coast Guard pollution response team arrived on scene and is working with the oil spill response organization Weavertown to deploy boom and contain the oil and begin cleanup operations.
Neptune Marine Survey is also on scene accessing the vessel and developing a plan to remove any remaining oil from the vessel.
The Coast Guard, along with West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection and Kentucky Department of Environmental Protection, are investigating the incident.